Jude Porter and the Battle of Fire
by Gamer AlchemistZ
Summary: Sequel to Prisoner's Curse. Now in his 5th year, Jude is ready to take on most of the stuff thrown his way. He was now the quidditch captain, he and his friends were stronger than ever, and he hadn't heard about Lazarus in months. But boy, he really should've known it was too good to be true. He now faces a new challenge and an old threat; fire.
1. Intro into Emma's Life

**Jude Porter and the Battle of Fire**

From the moment Emma found out she was a witch, she began to see a lot of strange things in her life. She was only 11 when she started school and she couldn't even write a list of the things she saw every day at Hogwarts, but she could say seeing one of her best friends fend off an evil man with fire streaming off his own arms was high on her list of strange and bizarre.

But, she thought to herself as she stared at Jude and her mother in the kitchen before glancing outside where her father and James were, nothing was stranger than seeing James Potter try to figure out how to work a lawn mower.

Her friends, her best friends in the whole world, she had told her parents when they wondered why Jude and James were the only people she hung out with, had come over to her house during the summer after they finally accepted her invitation. James had always rejected it, saying he needed to practice for quidditch, and Jude always declined since he was either grounded or he wanted to spend time with Neville and Hannah.

However, since Jude wasn't grounded and James was already at the top of his game, the two males decided to see what Emma's muggle home was like. They looked so out of place the moment they stepped foot in her neighborhood. Jude throwing up after Neville Apparated them there just made it look worse. Poor kid never did get used to it.

"Emma, Emma," Jude beamed as he set a plate with a slice of cake in front of her along with a fork. "Your mum finished teaching me how to make lemon cake. She said it was your favorite. Here, try it."

Emma took a small piece of the dessert and ate it delicately. Her eyes widened as the flavor burst onto her palette, "Jude, this is amazing."

Jude grinned brightly at the compliment and turned to Mrs. Thorne, "Thank you so much for the recipe and your patience."

Mrs. Throne smiled at the young man, "Oh, it was nothing, Jude. Besides, it was nice having someone who could actually cook in the kitchen with me."

"I've been cooking since I was 3," Jude said nonchalantly. "It's a bit soothing now that it's not demanded of me."

Emma shook her head when her mother sent her a mortified glance Jude's telling of his old home. She had told her parents that Jude came from a horrible home before he got accepted to Hogwarts, but she never went into full detail of what he actually went through. Honestly, she didn't feel like retelling his life story since she got teary eyed just thinking about it.

The three turned to the front door when a sweaty James and Mr. Thorne walked in. James groaned tiredly as he sat down and stole Emma's plate, ignoring her glare. He moaned happily as Mr. Thorne put a glass of water next to him, "This is delicious, Mrs. Thorne."

Mrs. Thorne rolled her eyes good naturedly, "Actually, Jude made it. He was very persistent on learning Emma's favorite meals."

James turned to his best male friend and gave him a thumbs up as he drank his water greedily. He wasn't used to the outdoors physical labor and heat like his friends, muggle born and muggle raised, were. It gave him a new appreciation for magic and a newfound respect for muggles who did this at least once a week.

"How was mowing the lawn, James?" Jude asked. "I haven't done that in years, but I can easily say that I never want to do it again."

"I don't know how you do it," James told Emma seriously.

Emma shook her head with a smile, "It's not like I actually do it. Dad is the one who takes care of the lawn. I help Mum with the garden."

Jude gasped, "You have a garden?"

Mrs. Thorne chuckled, "You can see it tomorrow. Right now, I need you boys to set the table for dinner."

"Yes, Mrs. Thorne," James and Jude chorused as they followed Mr. Thorne out of the dining room.

That night, after their last dinner in Emma's house with her parents, Emma watched the boys sleep on the floor of her room.

Jude was on his back, the blankets she had given him now at his feet. His shirt was ridden up a bit, revealing a small sliver of skin. He took deep breaths and twitched every other minute. Sometimes his face would scrunch up as if he smelt something bad or his eyebrows would become pinched like he got hurt.

She turned, facing the other side of her bed to find James on the floor. He laid on his side, his body much more relaxed than Jude's. She wondered what the two would dream about. James always told her Jude had nightmares that ranged on and off depending on the day he had. He would wake up screaming some nights but wouldn't remember the next day. She wondered, not for the first time, if James kept his dreams to himself because he didn't want them to worry even more than they already did, if he didn't want Jude to take on more problems other than the ones he dealt with every year.

She hoped one day James wouldn't feel like he had to keep to himself. She hoped he knew he could confide in her. They didn't have such a smooth year last year, but that didn't make their friendship any less significant in her life. She was always going to be there for the both of them and she knew they would be there for her no matter what.

With that in her mind, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep like she always did.

"The eggs are great, Mrs. Thorne," James complimented Emma's mother as he and Jude shoveled down their breakfast.

Mrs. Thorne gave him a bright smile, "Thank you so much, James. Jude was a big help today as well." She squeezed Jude's shoulder lightly when he smiled, "I'll miss you helping me in the kitchen. As much as I've tried to teach Emma, she doesn't seem to have the culinary skill down just yet." She sighed airily, "My brilliant daughter, so intelligent, but doesn't know the difference between sugar and salt."

James snorted into his juice, Jude hid his snickers by shoveling more eggs and bacon in his mouth while Emma sputtered embarrassedly, her cheeks starting to match her hair, "Mum, please!"

"I'm sure you'll get it down soon enough, sweetie," Mr. Thorne said distractedly as he read the Sunday post.

Emma groaned while her friends' laughter began to increase. She glared and flicked a bit of water at them. Of course they would have blackmail by the end of this. Next time, she was sleeping over at the Potters' house. She didn't care how many death glares Jude got from Albus and Harry, she needed some good blackmail material on James.

"Oh, your owls are here," Mrs. Thorne piped up pleasantly as she opened the window for the 3 birds. She gave them each a treat while the teens rushed up and grabbed their letters.

"Thanks, Hestia," Jude smiled, kissing his bird's head. He went on to open his letter with his friends. A giddy grin stretched across his face as he pulled out a red and gold badge. He cheered and did a little dance, "I'm the quidditch captain!"

James smirked as he high fived his friend, "As if we had doubts." While Jude was getting congratulated by the Thrones, he fished through his letters and found no badge or anything out of the ordinary. He frowned but gave a shrug; it's not like he was getting anything else.

Everyone turned at Emma's sharp gasp. The red head giggled, her green eyes filled with unshed tears as she held up a badge that had a P on it. James chuckled, "I knew if it would be anyone, it would be you."

"Congrats, Emma," Jude said, still grinning brightly. He turned to his male friend, "Did you get anything, mate?"

"I'm not a Prefect, if that's what you're asking."

Emma tilted her head thoughtfully, "I wonder what boy got a Prefect badge."

James and Jude shared a glance before they let out an agonizing groan. It wasn't a surprise as to what 5th year Gryffindor boy got a Prefect badge.

And just like that, another hellish school year arrived.


	2. 5th Year

**Chapter 2**

Jude watched Emma flip through one of the books assigned to them this year while James tried to take a nap. He put his hands behind his head and laid on the seat that he had to himself. He didn't feel like sleeping, but he was getting a bit bored. He had already bought a few snacks from the trolley, but even the sweetness of the candies couldn't keep him enthusiastic.

"Can you believe we only have three years left?" Emma piped up though her eyes never strayed from the textbook. "Just this year, 6th year, and then our 7th and last year at Hogwarts."

James opened one of his eyes, peeking over at her. He closed it and tried to relax his body into the seat, "It's kinda hard to believe. To think, we met 4 years ago and look at us now."

Jude grinned, "I couldn't imagine life without you guys. If started Hogwarts without knowing you two, I'd be dead for sure." He flinched when Emma threw a bag of sweets at him.

"Don't say stuff like that so casually," Emma muttered irritably. "Do you even know how many times you've come close to death since our first year?"

"Too man-"

"Too many times to count on my hands," She cut him off with a glare. She then softened and shook her head, "Still, I'm glad I'm friends with the both of you. I couldn't ask for better friends."

James smiled and was about to speak up when the door opened, revealing Leon. His hair was thicker than last year, he had a few pimples on his cheeks, and a P was pinned on his robe, confirming the boys' suspicions.

While Jude had the decency to hold in his groan, James let his displeasure known by loudly scoffing at the sight of Emma's boyfriend, "No one invited you."

Leon straightened his robe, puffing out his chest to let the badge shine. He smirked and leaned towards Emma, giving her a quick peck on the lips. He pulled back, grinning, "So, shall we go over the plan for this year?"

Emma glanced at her friends, taking note of Jude's glower and James' simmering anger as he turned on his stomach, facing away from her. She cleared her throat and nodded, "We shall. Let's go." She gave the boys a smile as she walked out, "Don't get up to too much fun without me."

Once the door was shut and the couple was ways away from them, James sat up abruptly, grunting in annoyance, "Seriously, what does she even see in him?"

"We've asked ourselves that question ever since 2nd year, mate," Jude said. "I think maybe we should be asking her."

"You know Emma; she sees the good in everyone unless you're a dark wizard."

Jude nodded as he started sifting through the sweets bag Emma had thrown at him, "Yes, that's true." He popped a piece of taffy in his mouth and struggled to speak as he chewed, "I still think we should maybe have a talk about this. It's been 3 years too late, don't you think?"

James simply grumbled and turned his gaze back to the window. Jude shook his head at the childish behavior. He spent the rest of the time on the train getting himself lost in a daze of random daydreams about the school year. A part of him still wondered if he should drop Divination seeing as how James had already done it. He would be alone in that class now and that was one thing he didn't want to experience. Still, he didn't have the heart to face Trelawney and her unexpected emotions at the loss of him in her class.

Soon, the train came to a stop. Jude and James quietly got their luggage. Jude made sure to get Emma's as well since she still hadn't come back. The two walked off the train and made their way to the carriages.

Jude watched as Emma came up, her face flushed and her hands shaking as she fidgeted with her fingers. He raised a concerned eyebrow as he helped her up. James pointedly ignored her which irked Jude a bit, but he kept his mouth shut. He hated it when the two didn't talk to each other and forced him to fix their problems.

Movement of the carriage caught his attention. He beamed when he saw Lily climbing in with Hugo right behind her, "Hey, Lily. It's good to see you." He nodded to the red haired male behind her, "Hugo."

Lily smiled and sat down next to Emma as Hugo sat next to Jude, "Hey, Jude. How was your summer?"

"It was really fun," Jude grinned. "You know that James and I spent some days at Emma's home. It was great actually getting into the muggle life again. I missed the small things about it."

He felt his face heat up when Lily giggled at his enthusiasm, "I've always wanted to see what the muggle life was like." She smiled, "I heard you're the quidditch captain now. Congrats."

Emma smiled amusedly as she watched Jude scratch the back of his head, flustered. She glanced at James who was still ignoring everyone. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Jude who was listening to Lily's recount of her summer eagerly. His eyes were lit up behind his glasses and his smile was light and wide. She wondered if he even knew what he was feeling.

It wasn't long before the carriage made it to the castle. Everyone made their way inside and got to their seats inside the Great Hall. Jude exhaled, wiping his hands on his trousers as he listened to the song the sorting hat sang before Neville started calling out the names of the first years. He clapped at whatever house a student was sorted into and cheered whenever someone was put into Gryffindor.

When the food was served, Jude dug in eagerly. He turned his gaze up when he heard giggling in front of him. He blinked at Lily, his cheeks stuffed with chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy, "What?"

Lily shook her head with a grin, "Do you always look so happy when food's in front of you?" She spooned some mashed potatoes into her mouth.

Jude swallowed the food gathered in his mouth and grinned sheepishly. James, who seemed to finally get out of his funk, smirked amusedly, "He loves cooking and eating. If it has to do with food, it's Jude's favorite thing."

"That's not true," Jude mumbled into his cup of juice. "I like quidditch and animals."

That statement only left the two Potter siblings in a fit of giggles. Jude pouted childishly before digging into his dessert next. He laughed when James glared at him and wiped his face clean after he got too much frosting on it.

When they made it to their now fifth year dorms, Jude got ready for bed while James threw himself on his and passed out soon after. Jude frowned but didn't fault him; sharing a room with Leon, Jared, and Carlos was a hassle, and one of the three was your enemy, you'd want to avoid them at all cost.

Still, Jude hoped this year would be a bit better than those before. After all, it was they only had three more years before they graduated.


	3. All These Classes

**Chapter 3**

Jude rubbed his eyes under his glasses, hoping his tiredness could just leave him at once while he read his classes for this year. Since it was Wednesday, he and James were up much earlier than Emma as they had Care for Magical Creatures and she did not, giving her an extra hour to sleep. Knowing her though; she was most likely up and making plans and schedules for the year.

James yawned, stretching his arms up in the air, "Maybe I should've dropped this class too." He gave a few grunts and groans as he stretched his joints and muscles.

"Then you would've had to keep Divination," Jude mumbled, yawning as well.

The two slumped, speaking in unison, "Emma's so lucky."

James smacked his schedule before pointing to all the early classes, "Look at this, the only time she has to wake up with us is for Muggle Studies."

"How do you think I feel?" Jude whined childishly. "I have to wake up early almost every single day because of these classes." He huffed, "The only good thing that comes out of this is that we have more time at the end of the day since Emma has more classes in the afternoon and we don't."

"I'm just gonna sleep during that time."

Jude slid his eyes towards his friend, deadpanning, "Really?" And at that moment, he realized what Emma felt when they would goof off instead of doing their homework.

The two made it just in time for Care of Magical Creatures. Jude greeted all the animals that came and huddled around him. He gave each of them a quick petting before focusing his attention on Hagrid as he started the lesson.

Once class was over, they made their way back to the dorms and found Emma already preparing her notes for their next class which happened to be Defense Against the Dark Arts. It didn't come as a surprise that they had a new teacher again this year. The three only hoped the professor wasn't a dark witch or wizard, didn't die, or quit because of too much drama and fighting going on in Hogwarts.

The teacher's name was Sydney Riley. She was young with dark hair that had some blond streaks through it. Her brown eyes shined behind her oval glasses and her overall demeanor was much different from the previous professors, but they had been fooled before.

Even with their suspicions, class was pretty lively. They learned about counter jinxes and defensive charms and were given examples which sent out a great round of applause. Jude couldn't really remember the last time he had so much fun in class during a lesson.

While Emma had Arithmancy, Jude took Emma's advice and began studying for their O.W.L.'s coming up while James simply took a nap.

After lunch, they had History of Magic which Jude tried and mostly failed to stay awake in; his mind was a bit sluggish after an hour of studying. He grinned sheepishly when Professor Alexander asked if he was sick and assured her that he just wasn't used to the new schedule yet.

The next day had to trio waking up for their Muggle Studies class. James spent the time glaring at the back of Leon's head while Jude took notes for the both of them. He had prayed to Merlin that James would ease up on his hatred for Leon, but he knew that was too much to ask for so he did what he normally did and just rolled with it until it actually started hurting their friendship.

Charms came soon after and Jude found himself still loving the class. Like Transfiguration and DADA, he found himself better with hands on subjects rather than classes that only made you memorize the books they put in front of you. He never had much of an attention problem, but he preferred the hands on way. And Professor Lively made the class bright and fun, so it was no wonder it was one of his favorite classes.

After lunch, Potions came next. Jude was glad James got out of his funk enough to help him finish the small potion they had to work on. If there was anything he didn't want to do this year, it was somehow incur Professor Young's wrath.

Herbology was next and while Jude struggled a bit in that class, he loved it just as much as the ones he excelled in. Watching Neville teach and enthusiastically talk about the plants was what made his day all the more better. He knew some of Neville's past from Hannah and Neville himself, so seeing him in his element, happy and filled with energy, is what made Jude so glad this man was now his father.

Friday had much of the same schedule but Astronomy was the only difference in it. Luckily, the class wasn't at midnight anymore. It was at a reasonable hour where Jude didn't feel like punching anyone who tried to keep him awake.

On Monday, Jude endured two classes of Divination by himself while James and Emma got to sleep in. After the first Divination class, they all had Transfiguration and it helped raise his spirits. DADA helped him relieve his stress before he took on the second Divination class.

When Tuesday came around, he was just glad Care for Magical Creatures wasn't that long since all he wanted to do was go back to sleep. He took an hour nap before he and his classmates had to go to History of Magic.

Dinner that night was spectacular, just like every night. Jude yawned as he followed the rest of his classmates back to the Gryffindor tower. Emma flashed him a look of concern, "Are you feeling alright, Jude? You seem a bit more tired than usual."

Jude waved his hand dismissively, "It's fine. These classes are just ganging up on me more than usual."

"It's all the studying you've been doing," James threw in. "You're so worked up about the upcoming O.W.L.'s that you're stressing yourself."

Emma frowned lightly, "While I'm glad you're taking your studies seriously for once, I wish you would take a break and let yourself sleep fully. You're not going to get better grades if your mind can't process anything."

"I'll take your advice then," Jude mumbled tiredly as he stretched.

With classes, upcoming O.W.L.'s, and now the responsibility of being quidditch captain, he honestly didn't know how he was going to handle this.


	4. Detention

**Chapter 4**

Headmaster Flitwick had mercy on the trio during the first week of school, but once they made it into their second week, he made sure to keep his promise of giving them detention throughout the entire first semester this year. The only person who was exempt from this was Emma since she now had Prefect duties. She still had to help Professor Harmon's class but she was lucky enough to skip detention, unlike her two friends.

A month into it and the boys were wishing they were Prefects, if only for a brief moment.

James glanced at Jude who was sprawled out in a chair, snoring loudly. He turned his gaze over to Professor Alexander who had them helping her with moving and fixing her textbooks and raised an eyebrow, "You're just going to let him sleep?"

"I don't see why not," She gave a faint smile as she put the textbooks down in front of the two boys. "He's got a lot on his plate after all. Quidditch try outs are coming up and since he's the captain, he's the one who has to run the show." She opened one book as she continued, "You can wake him up if this gets to be too much for you."

Giving a heavy sigh, James shook his head as he opened one of the books, "No. If it were me, he'd let me sleep and do everything without complaint. Besides, it's usually hard for him to get a good night's sleep."

Emilie frowned worriedly, "Nightmares?"

"Yeah. They range from bad to horrible but he never says anything about it," James informed her as he flipped through the book. "Emma and I told him he can talk to us whenever he wants, but he's stubborn. He says he doesn't want to worry us."

"That's because he loves you two," Emilie smiled at the slumbering boy fondly though her eyes portrayed a different tale. "He must think that since you do so much for him that this is him doing something for you instead; that he can do something for you."

James glanced at Jude, affection coating his smile, "He's a dork is what he is. He does so much for us. I hate that he thinks he doesn't." He turned back to the books, a new vigor pouring through his sluggish limbs, "Now let's get these done, shall we? Then we can get Jude to a bed."

"That sounds like a good plan."

A few hours later, James was stretching his limbs, relaxing the muscles that had tightened from him sitting for so long. Once he gave a satisfied grunt, he turned to Jude who was shifting in his seat, trying to find a better position to sleep in.

His eyes moved to the door when it creaked open. Emma peeked her head in, a sheepish smile on her face as she addressed Professor Alexander who seemed surprised, "I know you said I wasn't needed here, but I'd feel better if I just checked in."

Professor Alexander chuckled as she put the books back, "We just about finished here. I assume James is going to need help getting Jude back to the dorms, however."

Emma blinked, turning her head to the duo. She shook her head when she saw James' incredulous expression and Jude's gaping mouth as he slept, "Did you do all the work by yourself? How long was he asleep?"

"Yes and he fell asleep right as we sat down," James answered. He shook Jude's shoulder, easily rousing the boy from his slumber. He chuckled amusedly when the other male glanced around the room frantically, "Easy, mate. Em and I are gonna take you back to the dorms, okay? We're all finished here."

Jude sat up, rubbing his eyes under his glasses. He frowned heavily, "Oh, James, I didn't mean to fall asleep. You could've woken me up so we could do this together. I wouldn't have minded."

James punched his shoulder lightly, grinning, "It's fine, Jude. I know you'd do the same for me and you needed sleep, so don't sweat it."

"Thanks," Jude smiled tiredly and got up with the help of his friends. He wrapped his arms around Emma and hummed with a rasp tone, "Hey, Emma. How was patrol?"

"It was fine, Jude," Emma laughed as she hugged him back. She inhaled shakily as she snuggled deeper into her friend's embrace, "Oh Jude, you're so warm in this cold weather. I hate that you do a better job at warming me up than most spells do."

"It's a gift," Jude mumbled into her shoulder.

They said their goodbyes to Professor Alexander before they made their way to the Gryffindor tower. James had listened to Emma recount her patrol with Leon with only mild annoyance while Jude hung onto her and slept, though he had listened for the first 5 minutes.

When they got to the common room, Emma shifted to get Jude's lean but strong arms off her shoulders. She smiled when Jude pouted, "Thanks for the warming, Jude, but this is where we part ways for the night."

"Night, Emma," Jude slurred. He hugged her again and gave loud kisses to her head, leaving her laughing as he made his way back to his room.

James turned towards Emma and gave her a nod and a smile, "Night, Em."

Emma returned the gestures, "Night, James."

The two turned and made their ways to their respective dorm rooms. James rolled his eyes with a slight grin when he saw Jude sprawled out on his bed, his shoes, socks, belt, robe, tie, and shirts on the floor. He reached over and took off his glasses, setting them aside on the nightstand. He changed into his pajamas before he got into his bed.

Right as he closed his eyes, he heard something whisper, " _Both of you get a clue._ "

He raised an eyebrow and turned around, only to find his sleeping roommates. He narrowed his eyes at Jude before flopping back down on his bed and finally getting some much needed sleep.


	5. Captain

**Chapter 5**

Taking a class for a day and then the teacher telling you you're too advanced for said class was something that overwhelmed Jude to this day. It was the reason why he was on the quidditch team and now the captain of it. If it wasn't for Professor Harmon, he wouldn't have had extra seniority over every other player sans Louis and he might not have been captain. So when it came to detention and helping Professor Harmon's class, Jude didn't see it as a punishment; more like a helping hand for a teacher he owed greatly.

He, James, and Emma walked onto the field, finding Professor Harmon cleaning the area. James grinned suddenly, "You know, you missed a lot of fun times in Flying. I remember when Curry fell off his broom and took Clark with him after he tried to do one of your moves."

"It wasn't anything bad," Emma clarified when Jude looked concerned. "Professor Harmon slowed their descent. Curry only ended up with a bruise on his bottom." She rolled her eyes when both boys snickered. She grabbed their sleeves and dragged them towards the professor.

Meghan turned to them and smiled, "I was wondering when you lot would get here." She brought out her wand and did a swishing motion. 3 regular brooms came out and placed themselves in their hands. She nodded to them, "The first years didn't do much so all you have to do is help me clean the field and the shed."

"Of course, Professor," Emma said in place of James who appeared disgruntled at the news and Jude who was already cleaning.

The trio and their teacher set on cleaning the field the muggle way. James thanked Mr. Thorne for teaching him to have patience with muggle ways of cleaning since the only way he ever knew how to clean was just flicking his wand or throwing things back in the closet.

After Jude and James hauled the broomsticks into the shed, they laid themselves on the soft grass with a long, tired groan. "I'm hungry," Jude mumbled into the ground as he laid on his stomach.

"You're always hungry," James replied jokingly as he stretched his arms, feeling his muscles loosen after they had been bunched up all day. He exhaled as he cracked his neck, "I think dinner should be in an hour though so you don't have to wait that long."

As Jude hummed into the ground, Emma walked over and sat down next to them. She leaned down and laid her head on Jude's back. The only protest she was met with was a tired grunt from said boy. She huffed, shifting her head to find a more comfortable spot, "You know after dinner, we're studying, right?"

That drew even bigger groans from the boys. Meghan walked over, her green eyes glinting amusedly as she regarded them, "Jude, you're the new quidditch captain, right? Tryouts are next week. You got anything ready for practice yet?"

Gargling noises were heard in response. James deadpanned, "Professor, I think you might have killed him." He snickered when Emma punched his arm.

A week later, Jude found himself staring at his reflection in the locker room bathroom mirror anxiously. He straightened his quidditch uniform and kept his eyes on the crest that showed he was now captain of the team. No matter how many times he told himself or how many times people reassured him, he still couldn't believe he was captain. The weight of it didn't help his anxiety at all; especially this year which many of his upperclassmen said was the hardest year for them.

With a deep breath to calm his nerves, Jude walked out onto the pitch where his teammates and the students who were trying out were. He cleared his throat shakily as he addressed them, "Hello, everyone. Um, since Kelli graduated, the position of captain has been transferred down to me-"

"Thank Merlin," Louis muttered.

"-so I'll try my best to make these next three years great," Jude tried to grin but his jaw was shaking so much it almost looked like he was in pain. He swallowed, lifting a hand to scratch his head, "Anyway, since all the spots are filled this year, we'll just be trying out for alternates. Leon Adams is now our new beater and Lily Potter is our new chaser."

The players cheered for Lily who beamed and Leon who looked slightly smug at the news. Jude held up his hand, silencing them, "Now, if you're trying out for beater, please follow Adams and Louis; they'll assess you and your abilities on the pitch. If you're trying out for chaser, go with James, Emma, and Lily. For keeper, follow Hugo. For seeker, follow Albus. I'll be watching over the try outs and will be the final say in everything. All clear?" At their nods, he mentally sighed in relief, "Then let's get started."

He watched as everyone got on their broomsticks and took off to the sky. He waited until everyone was separated into the right groups before he followed them. There weren't many seekers, but then again, there were never that many after his third year. They must've known no one could beat his spot. Now there was no hope of getting the seeker spot since he was now captain.

There were plenty chasers, beaters, and keepers however. Some people still thought Hugo wasn't as good as Olivia, but Hugo was still in his 3rd year. He had a long way to go before anyone could compare the two. Either way, he knew Hugo had great potential and he wouldn't trade him for anyone else.

Louis was the only person on the team who was graduating this year so it was no surprise that many people were trying to be his alternate. Jude blinked slowly when he realized Carlos was floating with the rest of the newcomers. He knew Carlos liked quidditch, but he thought he was like Jared; a spectator rather than an actual player.

He had to stifle a groan at the thought of Carlos joining the team. Hopefully he kept to himself and didn't try to hug him even more now that they were going to spend most of their days together as a team and roommates.

Jude turned his attention to the chasers and smiled. He had only seen Lily's try out last year and heard about her skills from James, so he was absolutely looking forward to her debut as their new chaser. He knew this trio was going to wreck the other houses in their upcoming matches.

He turned his head, finding Albus throwing some golf balls in the air for the two seeker candidates. He had wanted to do it himself but he thought giving Albus something to do would maybe get him off his back a bit. Besides, maybe it was time they stop this stupid rivalry. James seemed to be getting along with his family better and he and Albus hadn't glared at each other since last year. Heck, maybe he could finally be friends with Harry too.

He snorted to himself, shaking his head bemusedly. Like that'll ever happen.

Once try outs were over, the players and the new comers went back to the common room while Jude stayed in the captain's room, going over the list of new comers as well as trying to figure out the game plan for the first match.

He scrubbed at his eyes, trying to pick one out of the handful of kids who tried out. He had to be fair and just. He couldn't let himself feel sorry for them. He was just doing his job and he knew they couldn't have more than 3 alternates for the chasers, more than 2 for the beaters, more than 2 for the keeper and the seeker.

With a heavy sigh, he wrote the names on the list and placed it on the door to the locker room. He moved back into the room and started on their game plan.


	6. Life and Times

**Chapter 6**

Jude loved his friends with his entire heart and soul. He'd lay his life down for them without a second thought. He'd protect them to his dying breath. He loved them and there was no way he'd let anyone or anything take them away from him. They were his family now and they loved him just as he loved them.

That being said, James and Emma had moments that made him want to bash their heads together in the hopes that they would realize how much they actually liked each other. He understood that James was a little dense, but he knew Emma had feelings for James and was just dating Leon because he was safer. He didn't dare speak those thoughts aloud, however. He knew what Emma's punches felt like and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of them again, especially when they packed with anything other than playfulness.

And if there was one thing that irked Jude when it came to his friends, it was their habit of brooding and sulking. They always did it when the other was talking to the opposite sex, though James did it whenever Leon was mentioned. Emma did it when any girl would so much as glance in James' direction.

By the beard of Merlin, he was getting tired of watching them dancing around each other and one of these days he was going to just throw them in a broom closet and let them sort everything out.

Today, unfortunately, wasn't that day. Jude and James were helping Neville clean the green house while Emma was in a Prefect meeting. Just knowing Leon was a prefect had James glowering the entire time.

"Is he alright?" Neville asked cautiously as he set down a potted plant next to the table where Jude was keeping stats on the ones that were already there. He gestured to James who was throwing sacks of soil on the ground roughly, "I mean, is he always this mad because of detention?"

Jude sighed, smiling slightly in hopes to reassure his surrogate father, "He isn't mad about detention. He's mad that Emma is doing patrols with Adams?"

Neville frowned, "Isn't she supposed to? They are both Prefects."

"Dad, come on," Jude said, raising an eyebrow. "James and Emma are kind of obvious, especially now."

"O-oh," Neville nodded understandingly. Jude watched bemusedly as his father became flush with embarrassment. "How long have they felt this way about each other?"

Jude hummed thoughtfully as he lifted a few more pots on the table, "I know James was jealous of Adams during our 2nd year, but I don't think Emma realized her feelings until last year. I know she had feelings for James before but I don't think she knew the extent of them."

"So why don't they just tell each other?"

"Please," Jude snorted. "James still doesn't realize what these feelings mean and Emma's too scared to admit that she likes James as more than a friend." He sighed tiredly, "Honestly, I hope they realize soon. All this sulking isn't good for the plants."

Neville chuckled, patting the younger male's head before moving to James, "Okay, James, you don't need to keep throwing the bags. I'm letting you guys off early."

James furrowed his brow questioningly, "Really, Neville? I wouldn't want the headmaster to tell you anything."

"It's fine, boys," Neville smiled reassuringly. "Besides, it's your fifth year and I know how much you need to study for your O.W.L.s." He laughed when both boys groaned in unison at the reminder. "Get on out of here."

Gratefully, the boys grabbed their belongings and thanked Neville before making their way to the Gryffindor common room. Jude exhaled deeply, stretching his arms in the air, "I'm so glad we got out early. I know we have to study but I'm going to be early tonight."

James smirked as he loosened his tie, "You need to. Seriously, how many hours of sleep did you get last night?"

Jude grinned sheepishly, "About 3." He shrugged, laughing nervously at James' dubious gaze, "I studied and then spent the rest of my time making strategies for our next practice."

"I don't know how you do it, mate," James shook his head. "I'm just glad I'm not in your position or in Emma's. This year is hell on your nerves and then just adding more on top of that is too much for me and my sanity."

"Aren't you lucky?"

After giving the portrait the password, the boys walked into the common room. Jude perked up when he saw Lily and Hugo. He waved as he walked over to them, "Hey, guys. How are your new classes?"

Hugo smiled, "I got Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy. I wanted to get Muggle Studies but my mum told me that was too easy for me."

"It's an easy class. It's why we took it," James stated, high fiving Lily. "She told you not to take Divination too, huh?"

"Mum still doesn't believe in that class," Hugo said. "That was the main class she told me not to get. Dad didn't really care."

Jude sighed, "I've been trying to get rid of Divination but I don't have the heart to do it."

"The heart?" Lily raised a confused eyebrow.

James laughed, patting Jude's shoulders, "Trelawney loves Jude so much she's practically giving him the best grades without him even trying. We still don't understand why she acts like that and why it's only Jude she treats that way." He grinned, "Don't even get me started on how the animals react to Jude when we get to Care of Magical Creatures."

"Stop it," Jude whined, blushing while pushing James' arm as the two third years laughed. "You know I don't like when you talk about that. It's embarrassing."

"Are you talking about Jude and Professor Trelawney again?" The four of them turned to Emma who walked in with Leon. Jude walked over to Emma quickly, hugging in her in hopes that she would protect him from James' recap of their third year.

James scoffed while Emma stroked Jude's messy hair, "Come on, mate. It's just funny to remember. You don't have to be miffed about it." He narrowed his eyes playfully, pointing at Emma, "And don't treat him like a baby. You're enabling him."

"Oh shush, James. You wouldn't like it if Jude told stories about you," Emma scolded in the same tone.

"He doesn't have any on me, and even if he did, he wouldn't ever tell."

"I would," Lily threw in with a wide grin. She squawked when James grabbed her in a headlock.

Jude lifted his head from Emma's shoulder and smiled brightly at the scene. It was times like these that calmed him and showed him that life was too beautiful to let it pass you by.


	7. Studying

**Chapter 7**

If there was one spell Jude wished he could use, it was one that would help him study for long hours without getting frustrated, bored, or exhausted. He didn't know how Emma liked studying. In all honesty, he felt like his brain was melting whenever he had to write an essay and make it sound like he was actually smart. He deduced that Emma musts have some kind of magical super brain to process tedious things and actually enjoy them.

The only good thing he could say about himself was that he lasted longer than James when it came to studying. While he didn't like studying at all but still did it so as not to spark Emma's agitation, James always tried to find a way out of studying. Whether it be making excuses for practicing quidditch, helping Jude come up with a new game plan, or just saying he didn't hear Emma when she told him to study. Most of the time, however, Emma dragged James by the hood of his robe and forced him to study. It helped in the long run, the boys knew, but it didn't mean they had to like it.

Jude glanced up from his text book, finding Emma efficiently studying while James looked like he wanted to cast an unforgivable curse on the papers in front of him. He knew that feeling all too well. His brain was already pleading for him to stop staring at the same page and move on already.

The two boys were jolted out of their reveries when Emma shut her book abruptly. She smiled at them, "I'm done for now. I'll probably get a bit more in after patrols." She blinked when she saw their incredulous gazes and shrugged, "What? You act as if this is any harder than when we fight _that man_."

"While that's true, I'd rather duel people than study for another hour," James grumbled, biting his thumb nail as he tried to figure out another word for very which he had used at least 5 times already. "I'm more of a hands-on learner."

"Me too," Jude agreed, feeling exhaustion start to take over his brain. He smiled at Emma who appeared disgruntled at their confession, "You're the brains and beauty of this friendship, Emma. We're the brawn."

Emma flicked his ear with a roll of her eyes, "Don't say that. You two are very smart."

"But not handsome?" James smirked, leaning back in his seat.

They watched amusedly as Emma's face became flushed as she tried to stammer out a reply. After a few moments of sputtering and reddening cheeks, she promptly turned on her heel and left the library.

Jude shook his head as he laughed, "I'm a little offended but that was too funny."

James snickered, nodding in agreement. He grinned, rubbing his quivering cheeks as his laughter calmed, "Aw, don't worry, mate. You're very handsome."

"You too."

The two reached over the table and high fived each other. They soon gathered their belongings and packed up. Detention was with Professor Young today and they needed to be there at least 5 minutes early. The last time they had her, they arrived on time only to be deemed late. Young informed them that on time was late and early was on time. They now made sure to arrive earlier so they wouldn't have to stay an extra hour cleaning cauldrons.

James groaned an hour later, taking his hands out of the bucket of water, "I hate having to scrub each and every one of these. This is torture."

"I've had worse," Jude muttered as he diligently continued to scrub the cauldrons. He rolled his eyes when James pouted, "Come on, mate. Just because you never did anything the muggle way doesn't mean it's the worst thing in the world." He shrugged, tilting his head thoughtfully, "Sometimes I think muggle things make things easier."

"How could you say that?" James scoffed, a bit scandalized. He never had a muggle upbringing; the only things he knew about muggles were the minor things he learned from his aunt Hermione. He learned that dentists were some kind of crazy people with knives and drills, and he was glad he never had to deal with that sort of thing.

Jude scratched his neck, not caring for his soaked hands, "Muggles are always advancing while we're staying put. They have phones and could send messages to each other with only a click of a button while we still rely on owls or our patronus to send messages. We have magic, which is fantastic, but muggles make their own magic and to me, well, that's brilliant. I don't think we should judge muggles and vice versa."

James glared at him before groaning, "Ugh, this is why you're higher ranked in Muggle Studies." He nudged Jude's shoulder with his own to show there was no hard feelings. "I know muggles are cool. I mean, look at Emma. She's muggleborn and she's great." He tilted his head down, hiding his smile as he finished cleaning the cauldron in his hand.

"Please get a clue already," Jude hissed under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, mate."

Professor Young walked over to them, raising an eyebrow at the cauldrons that were put to the side, clean as a whistle. She nodded approvingly, "A few more and you'll both free of this chore. Speed it up, boys."

"Yes, Professor Young," The boys chorused, scrubbing away.

By the time Jude and James made it back to the dorms, their hands were pruned and the fronts of their sweaters were soaked. Professor Young gave them an extra punishment by telling them they couldn't use any magic to clean their clothes. Jude was just glad his hands weren't freezing like James' were. His hands weren't nearly as pruned or aching as James', mostly because he was used to the muggle way of doing things.

Oh how they wished the semester would be over already. Maybe then the teachers would have mercy on them once more.


	8. Practice

**Chapter 8**

"Alright, good job, everyone," Jude cheered, clapping for his teammates as they executed another perfect play he had come up with. He sat on his trust Lightningbolt while Albus floated a few yards away from him, watching the chasers, beaters, and keeper play excellently.

He knew Olivia and Kelli must've felt this feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment when they saw their teammates play so greatly and he knew those emotions were going to feel heightened when and if their team won the first match. He'd probably faint if they won the world cup this year just from his plays.

"Another run, Captain?" Louis questioned with a grin as the rest of them floated over to Jude and Albus.

Jude smiled back, "You lot look like you got it down but if you feel like you need to go once more, be my guest. Practice makes perfect, as they say." He waved his hands at them as they got back into position.

Bludgers flew around the pitch every time Leon and Louis whacked them. The quaffle glided masterfully through the air each time James, Emma, or Lily passed it to each other. It was then blocked brilliantly, half of the time, by Hugo. Jude knew Hugo was more than capable of blocking the quaffle from the other teams, so it didn't bother him a bit that his chasers were able to make it past him. It just showed that they really were players to be reckoned with.

Practice went on for another hour before the Ravenclaw team came to take over the pitch. Jude graciously gave up the pitch and walked to the locker room with the other boys. He dressed back into his casual clothes since there were no classes today and he didn't have any other plans for the day except studying, making more plays for tomorrow's practice, and going to his and James' daily detention.

He yawned as he followed his teammates to the Gryffindor Tower. He stretched his arms in the air, grunting, "I wish 5th year was over already." The trio was walking a few ways away from the rest of the Gryffindors.

James grinned over Emma's offended gasp, "I hear ya. O.W.L.'s, regular classes, and daily detention until the semester is over? 6th year couldn't come sooner."

"Of course you two would think that," Emma grumbled indignantly. "5th year is to test our minds and our body's limits. You two always complain every year, but in the end, it's never as bad as you think it is."

"That's true," Jude exhaled. "The only thing worse than the thought of O.W.L.'s is that Lazarus has come up with another one of his stupid plots. 1st year it was finding out who I was and how to kidnap me. 2nd year was the whole trying to kill me with the lightning stone."

James continued for him with a bored drawl, "3rd year brought the creatures into the castle. It was almost as if _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander came to life. And last year was framing Sherlock Smith in the hopes that you would save him and ask him to break the Unbreakable Vow which he did and that brought on the Inferi."

Emma scoffed at them, "I hate how nonchalant you two are about this. We've nearly died each of those years and you two are brushing it off as if it was just something that happens every day."

"At this point in time, it almost is," Jude stated in boredom. His groaned when his stomach rumbled fiercely. "Let's not worry about that right now though. Let's worry about dinner."

As the trio and their housemates walked up the stairs to the common room, James rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "How is Smith anyway? Have you talked to him recently?"

Jude grinned at the mention of his older friend who was now his pen pal, "Yeah. I sent him a letter at the beginning of the school year. He's still traveling the world after he was deemed innocent by the Ministry. I think he said he was somewhere in South America."

"Tell him to bring me a souvenir."

"Way ahead of you. I told him to bring one for all of us from wherever he visits."

"You're the best, mate."

Emma smiled as they walked through the portrait, "I wish we could visit other countries more. Brazil was so beautiful and I'd absolutely love to see the other wizarding schools. We didn't get to see Castelobruxo but I did meet a student from there and she was so insightful."

Jude beamed at the thought of meeting students from around the world, "That sounds wicked. I wonder what their quidditch teams are like and how different it is from here."

"My aunt Hermione told me most schools don't do the sorting into houses like we do," James threw in. "Ilvermorny, the school in the United States, is the only school I've heard of that does it. Their houses are similar but are mostly different if you look at the bigger picture." He smirked wolfishly, "Gryffindor would surely beat them in quidditch. Look who we have as our captain."

The comment had Jude smiling happily with a bright flush adorning his cheeks. Emma giggled amusedly, knowing James said that on purpose. While they both knew it was true, she and James always felt warmth at seeing Jude's bright face at the compliments they threw his way.

"I-It's not just me," Jude added after he spent a moment feeling floaty and blissful at the compliment his best friend gave him. He grinned widely at the two, "You guys are the greatest part of the game. You all have such great strengths and power whenever you play that sometimes I wish I was a spectator just so I could watch you."

Emma and James exchanged long glances before they tacked their friend in a tight, loving hug. Jude laughed nervously, startled, "Guys, what are you doing?" He let out a grunt when Louis, Lily, and Hugo suddenly joined in, "Okay, guys. I feel the love."

While the love he was feeling was only an inch of what Emma and James truly felt about their friend, they internally swore that they would let Jude know that he was loved no matter what, whether it was an appropriate time or not because that's how much they loved him and they wanted to always show him.


	9. Captain's Duty

**Chapter 9**

His hands shook on his broomstick. His ears were numb to the cheering and chatter the audience gave. He hadn't felt this anxious since his first match when he was in his first year. At that time, it was his first time ever playing for a sports team, his first time playing for the wizarding world, and barely his 5th time on a broomstick. He had been an almost deadly nervous and rightfully so.

This time, however, he's now captain of his house team in a sport he barely knew how to play not so long ago. He's grateful for everything his friends and teammates have given and done for him, and as he looked back at them, seeing them ready to take to the skies, he knew he had nothing to worry about because no matter what the outcome was today, his friends would always be there for him.

The players of the Gryffindor quidditch team mounted their brooms and floated above the pitch as the announcer, the lovely Adrian Conners, began, " _Welcome, welcome, everyone. Today, as almost everyone knows, is the first match of the school year; the Mighty Gryffindor vs. the Cunning Slytherin._ "

The students cheered wildly at that. Jude breathed shakily, tightening and loosening his grip on his broomstick in an attempt to stop the trembling that traveled to his arms.

" _I'm your lovely announcer Adrian Conners and this is sadly my last commentary for the Gryffindor/Slytherin match,_ " Adrian told the crowd airily, placing a hand on his chest. " _It breaks my heart and I'm sure it breaks Professor Alexander's heart as well. We've had a lot of laughs these past few years._ "

" _Don't flatter yourself, Conners,_ " Professor Alexander muttered next to him.

Adrian laughed boisterously, " _Alright, everyone. Let's start with introducing the Slytherin team if you've already forgotten them. We have their chaser and captain, 7_ _th_ _year Cheryl Stacks. Along with her are 6_ _th_ _year Danny Simmons and their new chaser 3_ _rd_ _year Leonard Lang. 5_ _th_ _year Erik Howard and 4_ _th_ _year Bailey Fairley are their beaters, 5_ _th_ _year Miguel Salvatore is their keeper, and 4_ _th_ _year Scorpius Malfoy is their seeker. Let's give them a cheer, shall we?_ "

The students in the Slytherin house bellowed out their cheers the loudest while the other houses gave their support. Adrian winked, giving the crowd finger guns. He grinned as he began again, " _On the Gryffindor team, we have a new captain. You all know him, love him, hate him, envy him, and lust after him-_ "

Professor Alexander's jaw dropped in disbelief, " _That is inappropriate, Conners._ "

"- _Give a great cheer for the new captain who is also the seeker on the team, and probably the best one you'll ever see in your lifetime; 5_ _th_ _year Jude Porter._ "

After so many years of having the attention on him, Jude thought he would've been used to Adrian's hearty introductions but he was not expecting that. He sat on his broom, flushed and embarrassed, but made no move to acknowledge the laughter and coos around him.

Adrian raised his hands, gesturing for the crowd to quiet down, " _Let's move on or else Porter might spontaneously combust._ " He stepped away from Professor Alexander's pinching fingers and continued happily, " _For our chasers, we have 5_ _th_ _years James Potter and Emma Thorne. We also get to introduce 3_ _rd_ _year Lily Potter as our third chaser. Let's give a warm welcome to her._ "

Lily beamed at the whistles and clapping her introduction gave. She waved to her friends in the stands and Jude envied how she took the attention in stride.

" _For our beaters, we have 7_ _th_ _year Louis Weasley-lookin' good, mate-and 5_ _th_ _year Leon Adams. And last but not least, our keeper 3_ _rd_ _year Hugo Weasley. Give it up for them, everyone._ "

The crowd went off again in cheers and Jude could see why Adrian was chosen to announce the first game of the year despite Professor Alexander's protests. The crowd loved his commentary and he knew he wasn't the only one who was going to miss him when he graduated this year.

" _After Professor Harmon gives the instructions, we will start the match. Good luck to you all and I hope the best team wins._ "

Professor Harmon gave the usual rules and wishes before she opened her case, releasing the bludgers and snitch. She threw the quaffle in the air, officially starting the match.

Jude quickly backed his broom away, flying towards the edge of the pitch as he watched his teammates fly through the air as if it was second nature to them. It was always such a lovely thing to watch; when chasers flew in sync and beaters protected them from above while also trying to attack the other team. He only wished he could see it more often on his own team. He wished he could see Emma's stormy eyes scan the pitch and the players, James' determined brown eyes behind his circled frames as he maneuvered through each player, and now he wished he could see Lily's eyes, the same as her mother's and eldest brother's, vibrantly shining in awe while also finding openings throughout the pitch and around each player.

Oh how he wished, but alas, he had to keep his ears and eyes open for any sound or sight of the snitch. He couldn't be distracted by anything.

" _And Thorne just gave Gryffindor the lead with that spectacular move. It is now 10-0._ "

Blue eyes behind thick framed glasses jumped around for any little thing that would maybe appear around the pitch.

" _Nicely done, James. That's 20-0._ "

The wind blew past sharply, ruffling his hair and robes but never chilling him. The weather was getting colder now that winter was coming, but that never deterred him.

" _Lily gives Gryffindor another ten points. 30-10._ "

Adrian's commentary became white noise as Jude focused on the smaller sounds that he waited to arise. He didn't know how much time had passed before he heard the buzzing sound of the snitch flying past him. He didn't give himself time to blink before he shot off after the golden snitch.

" _Porter has found the snitch. Here comes Malfoy right behind in hopes that maybe he might win this year. The score is now 120-90._ "

Jude put his chest to his broomstick causing him to speed up. He felt Scorpius move up alongside him, brushing against his thigh as he tried to gain speed. The snitch weaved in all directions, doing its best to throw them off course, but Jude never quit when it came to catching the little bugger. He had the scars to prove his determination on catching it.

Scorpius was just at his elbow when he began stretching his arm. Jude bit his lip as he scooted on his broomstick. His muscles strained and protested at being stretched too far but he ignored it like he always did. He didn't become what Adrian called the greatest seekers by wavering. He had to push through. This was his first game as captain and he wasn't going to fail his team.

The seekers were now neck in neck. Jude paid no attention to Scorpius shoving him insistently so as to knock him off course. He gritted his teeth and stretched his arm out a bit more while he slid closer on his broom. He felt his fingers close around the snitch just as he slipped off from his broom.

His stomach lurched like it usually did when he fell; he would've thought he'd be used to the feeling by now. He was a few feet from the pitch before his broomstick flew under him and landed between his legs, catching him while also giving him a now familiar pain.

Jude exhaled raggedly, his whole body falling to the pitch in relief as he stared at the golden snitch in his hand. He grinned widely and raised his hand into the air, showing the crowd who had come out on top. He laughed breathlessly when his teammates got off their brooms and rushed over to him, lifting him up on their shoulders. He high fived them while beaming and pumping his fist.

Adrian clapped his hands with the rest of the crowd and spoke over their cheers, " _And there you have it, folks. No surprise here; Jude Porter has caught the snitch, ending the match and giving Gryffindor the win with the score being 320-170. Great job, everyone. It's been real fun, I hope you'll let me commentate one last game before I graduate. If not, I'll see you all at the after party._ "

After parties were something Jude was used to now. He was invited to some and sometimes he was the center of them. Now, for instance, everyone shouted his name and drank the punch that was set out.

Louis downed a shot of firewhiskey before he stumbled over to Jude, his words almost slurring together as he spoke, "Jude, I just wanna thank you for these past years. We have been the best-the best since you've been here."

Jude smiled a bit when Louis threw his arm around him, "Thanks, Louis. You're a great teammate too, and you've been by my side the longest so I'm gonna miss you when you're gone, mate."

"Oh," Louis sniffled dramatically. He grabbed Jude by his head and placed a loud, wet kiss on his cheek. He hugged him tightly once more. "I'm gonna miss you too, bud-buddy." He released his captain and rushed over to his friends, jumping on Adrian's back when he got close enough.

Jude glanced around, finding James in a conversation with Hugo, Albus, and Rose. He furrowed his brow when he caught Carlos staring. He watched confusedly as the tanned male quickly turned around, a blush rising on his cheeks. He simply shrugged and continued to find other familiar faces.

His gazing was cut short when Leon stormed passed. He noticed Leon's harsh scowl, one he usually reserved for James, settled heavily on his face as well as a bruise on his cheek. He couldn't find Emma so he knew that something went down between the couple.

He walked over to Lily and placed his hand on her arm lightly. He smiled when she turned around, halting the conversation she was having with the girls in her year, "Hey, can I ask a favor of you?"

"Anything," Lily readily replied.

Despite the situation, Jude felt his smile widen at that, "Thanks. Um, I need you to distract James for a bit. I can't seem to find Emma in here and Leon looks like he's ready to curse someone. I don't want James getting in trouble, so while I go look for Emma, could you maybe keep him on the sidelines for a bit?" He put his hands together, unintentionally giving her puppy dog eyes, "Would you please?"

Lily blushed, ignoring the giggles coming from her friends, and nodded, "Of course, but are you sure Emma wouldn't want a little girl talk?"

"I think I can manage," Jude said gratefully. "Thank you, Lily. I promise I'll make it up to you."

The giggles from Lily's friends almost became full blown laughter. The blush on Lily's face brightened as she glanced away, "Anytime, Jude. Now go on."

Jude thanked her one last time before he made his way out of the common room. After wandering the halls, he internally cursed himself for not taking the map they had made for the school, but he knew he'd raise James' suspicions if he went through his luggage in search for the item. He instead asked a few students if they had seen Emma and luckily, a few had seen her pass them with Leon not too long ago.

He found her in the Prefects' bathroom, her sobs reaching his ears before he even reached for the door knob. He walked in, calling out softly, "Emma, are you there?"

A wave of sorrow crashed into him when he heard Emma stifle a sob at his voice. She sniffled and after a few moments, no doubt trying to gain her composure, she walked out of one of the stalls.

Emma put on a wavering smile, her eyes bloodshot despite her trying to use a spell to make herself look presentable, "Jude, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you're alright," Jude answered, his voice soft as his throat began to ache with the sobs he wanted to cry out. He took a cautious step towards her, frowning, "Are you?"

"I'm fine, Jude," Emma tried to reassure. She lifted up a hand to brush her hair over her shoulder. "Leon and I just had a disagreement."

Jude ignored the sting in his eyes at the obvious lie. "What did you disagree about?"

"Hmm?"

"Your disagreement; what was it about?"

Emma shook her head as she too fought against the tears welling up in her eyes, "Please, Jude, everything's fine. You don't need to worry about it." She tried not to flinch when Jude walked over to her swiftly, grabbing her by the shoulders firmly.

"Don't tell me I shouldn't worry about this when it's clearly hurting you," Jude whispered fiercely, tears escaping his eyes. "What did he do?" He was going to curse Leon for whatever it was he did, but if he hurt Emma, brilliant and kind Emma, he'd kill him without hesitation.

That broke her down. Emma's face scrunched up as tears flowed and sobs climbed out of her throat. She lifted a hand to her mouth, her words muffled, "Leon, he…he's been wanting to have s…" She shuddered, her fingers digging into her cheek. "Since the beginning of the year, he's been hinting that he wants to have sex. I told him I wasn't ready. I told him I wanted to wait another year or so because there was no rush, but he kept persisting. I thought he was finally going to stop but after the match, he took me here and…"

Jude gathered her into his arms when she began sobbing anew. He rubbed her back and held her head to his shoulder. He soothingly shushed her, holding her tightly, "You're fine now, Emma. I've got you. I won't let him hurt you like this again, okay?" He sniffled and kissed her head, "You're safe now. I've got you."

While Jude comforted Emma and Emma took solace in his arms, neither of the two noticed a familiar figure standing by the bath, listening and brimming with anger.


	10. Confrontation

**Chapter 10**

The day had started like most days did. The trio went to their classes, they ate their meals in the Great Hall with their housemates, they studied in the library, and they helped Professor Harmon clean up the field after her class was over. There was nothing special about it, there was nothing that popped out and took their attention.

So Jude was taken aback when James found Leon after they finished helping Professor Harmon and hexed him with his mother's famous Bat Bogey Hex. He grabbed his fuming friend's arm and stared at him with wide eyes, "James, what in the bloody hell are you doing?"

James glared at him, "This disgusting git tried to force himself on Emma. I'm not going to let him walk around with an aligned face." He dodged a hex Leon threw at him and charged at the other male.

Emma flinched at the reminder of what happened a week before, "Oh, so he heard."

"He must've got away from Lily," Jude sighed, watching as James and Leon kept throwing random hexes and jinxes at each other. He rushed over and separated the two before they did something they would regret. He shook his head, holding onto their robes, "Enough, you two. You're going to get in trouble and I'm going to be out two players for the next quidditch match."

Leon sneered, "He's the one who started it. Suspend him from the games."

Jude pushed Leon away and released his grip on James' robe. He glared at Leon, "You're lucky I'm not the one who's fighting you. I prefer the muggle way and trust me, you wouldn't be able to breathe through your nose after I'm done with you."

He held up his hands, glancing at the other males, "I'm not going to make you apologize, but Adams, either you apologize to Emma or I'm kicking you off the team as well as punching you in your stupid mouth for forcing yourself on a girl despite the fact that she told you no."

Leon's face almost turned purple in his pent up rage. He clenched his jaw tightly as he turned to address Emma, "I'm sorry, Emma."

"To be fair, just saying you're sorry isn't good enough at all," Jude stated tersely. He inhaled deeply, trying to control his anger, "But I can't do anything to you without getting in trouble, so I'm just going to suspend you for the rest of the games this year. I'm sure Curry will be fine in your place." He put his hands on his friends' arms and ushered them along.

"You fucking twat!" Leon shouted viciously as the trio started walking away. He whipped out his wand, shouting, " _Diffindo!_ "

The spell hit the left side of Jude's torso. It sliced through his shirt and cut cleanly through his flesh. He cried out in pain, holding his bleeding side while James flew at Leon and punched him in the face repeatedly. Emma held her wand in her shaking hands, ignoring the tears on her face, and tried to stop the bleeding.

"What is going on here?" Professor Alexander's frantic voice cut in, halting the altercation and Emma's progress. She approached the teens quickly with Professor Harmon and Professor Walton. Her voice was tight, trying not to waver as she gazed at the scene.

Harmon grabbed James and took him off Leon while Walton held Leon in case he decided to go after James. Emilie made her way to Emma and helped her finish the spell on halting the blood for Jude.

"Anyone going to explain?" Meghan questioned curtly, readjusting her grip on James when he tried to lunge for Leon again.

Emma wiped her nose, sniffling, "Can we please take Jude to the infirmary? I'll tell you everything. I just want to make sure Jude is okay."

"Poppy's gonna be mad," Jude mumbled, resisting the urge to hold his throbbing side. He groaned exhaustedly when James, who was finally released by Professor Harmon, helped Emma in lifting him up.

Professor Walton halted James by grabbing him by the back of his shirt while he held Leon in his other hand. Professor Harmon took his place while Walton shook his head as he moved them forward, "Come on, you two. Let's see what Headmaster Flitwick has to say about this situation."

Jude wearily watched the professor take his friend and his roommate towards the Headmaster's office. He exhaled heavily, leaning on Emma as she and Professor Alexander helped him make his way to the infirmary.

He hoped the headmaster wouldn't be too harsh on James.


	11. After the Incident

**Chapter 11**

After Emma explained what had happened the previous week and the incident they had just seen prior, the professors gave Leon detention for the rest of the school year and asked Jude what he was going to do about his quidditch player who assaulted all three of them. Jude hadn't wanted to ever cut someone from the team; the only time he had ever seen someone being cut was when he took Walker's place his first year, but he knew he made the right decision kicking him off the team and letting Carlos take his place. James, who had finally gotten off detention for good behavior, was now given detention for the rest of the year while Jude was free of it.

Jude smiled reassuringly at Emma who was watching him anxiously as he put on his shirt after Pomfrey healed him. He rubbed her arms in hopes to comfort and warm her, "Come on, Emma. There's no need to look like that. I'm fine. Pomfrey said it was just a gash and she healed it in less than 5 minutes."

"I know," Emma sighed. She fidgeted with her hands, "I just feel like this is my fault."

"It's not and I don't want you to feel like it is," Jude stated worriedly. "Everything that happened was Adams' fault. Maybe James shouldn't have come at him like that but I was still going to suspend him or kick him off the team for what he did to you."

Emma stared at him for a moment before a small smile came across her lips, "Thank you, Jude." She inhaled a bit shakily, "I'll thank James when he gets back."

"I'm sure he'll be happy to hear it." Jude put his arm around Emma's shoulder and ushered her out of the infirmary. "Now come on. I've been dying to go to Hogsmeade ever since we started the year."

Though slightly reluctant to go without James, the two made their way through the village, looking for some things to take back to their friend. They would stop by Honeydukes before making their way to The Three Broomsticks.

Emma shivered fiercely in the harsh cold as they walked down the streets. She glanced over at Jude and pouted, "I hate the fact that you don't get cold."

"I can't help that," Jude grinned amusedly, not feeling even the faintest shiver despite the sharp winds and the thick snow. He shrugged, "Maybe it's genetic or something."

"If only we knew," Emma said as she walked closer to him. She hooked his arm through hers and soaked up his warmth greedily.

When they made it to the Three Broomsticks, Emma released her hold on Jude as the warming spell the pub had washed over her. She ordered butterbeer for them while Jude found a table for them.

The blue eyed teen was surprised when Emma walked over with Rose, Hugo, Lily, Albus, and Scorpius behind her. He put on a smile, "We all hanging out now?"

"I hope you don't mind," Rose smiled back as they all took their place at the table. She gazed at Jude worriedly, "I heard that you got hurt earlier. Are you alright?"

Despite the fact that he wasn't close friends with her, he still smiled at the fact that she was worried; it showed that she truly cared about those around her. Jude waved his hand dismissively, "I'm fine. Pomfrey healed it quite fast so I don't feel a thing anymore."

Lily frowned, "James is still in detention?"

Jude sighed heavily, "Unfortunately. Since he attacked Adams first, he was technically the aggravator, but since Emma explained the situation, James only has detention until the break while Adams has it for the rest of the school year and he's kicked off the team."

"Really?" Hugo blinked in shock. "So, Carlos is taking his place, right?"

"And we only got through one game too," Albus muttered irritably.

The conversation was halted when the table was given the butterbeers they ordered. Jude eagerly drank his while also wishing James was there in his usual spot beside him. He'd save him a cup of butterbeer as well as some chocolates from Honeydukes. Maybe that would cheer him up after everything.

The group soon made their way back to their dormitory when it got darker. Jude was relieved to see James in the common room, studying. Though he knew the only reason he was doing that was because he was bored. Seeing James like that reminded him and Emma that they needed to catch up studying as well before they could take those few weeks off for break.

James' eyes lit up in relief when he caught sight of the two, "Oh thank Merlin. I thought you guys got caught in the snow." He grinned when he noticed the bags in their hands, "You brought leftovers?"

"Just for you," Jude chuckled as he handed them over. He felt his heart warm in happiness when James tore through the bag of sweets he gave him. He only hoped he didn't ruin his appetite since dinner was in an hour.

Luckily, Emma was able to talk sense. "You can have a few, James. Supper is coming up and if you don't eat your food, I'll be taking the sweets away."

"Yes, Mum," James mumbled. He gave the sweets one last longing glance before he placed them in his bag. He put on a smile, "Did you guys have fun?"

"Not nearly as much as we would have had you been there," Jude replied. He beamed when James hugged him gratefully. They soon pulled away. "Who'd you have for detention this time?"

"Professor Neal," James answered, picking at his nails. "He just made me clean the astronomy tower the muggle way. He wasn't much of a slave driver like Young is."

Emma giggled, "What'd she do; make you clean the cauldrons the muggle way?"

Jude groaned miserably at the remembrance, "Not only that. She also made us clean all the desks, make sure none of them were cut or scraped and if they were, we had to fix them, put all of the ingredients in the correct order and if even one was out of place, we had to do it all over again. It was a nightmare that lasted way too long for us." He put his hand on James' shoulder. "I'm sorry if you have to go through that again without me, mate."

James patted his head, "It's fine. It's only for a few more weeks. I will miss having my best mate keeping me company though."


	12. The Vault

**Chapter 12**

The smell of delicious bacon and sausage woke him up. Jude's nose twitched, his eyes opening a moment later. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he sat up in his bed. A yawn forced its way out of his mouth just as he was stretching his arms above his head. He inhaled again, taking in the delicious aroma. With slight drool gathering on his lip, he went to the bathroom quickly to get ready for the day.

Once the young man was done, he made his way down the stairs and to the kitchen where he found Hannah with pans and dishes flying around the room, making breakfast. He walked over, ducking when a spatula came too close to his messy hair, and gave Hannah a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Morning, Mum."

Hannah smiled. She wrapped her arm around him and gave his head a kiss. "Good morning to you, Jude. How'd you sleep?"

"Better," Jude said with a sigh that didn't weigh down on his body like it did when he was at school. "Thanks for letting me sleep. I know I promised I'd make breakfast, but-"

"Jude, it's fine," Hannah reassured him. She combed his hair back, feeling a blooming warmth spread through her chest when he gazed up at her with his soulful blue eyes. She gave him a kiss on his forehead and spun him around. "Now go find your father. Tell him breakfast is almost ready." She turned back to the stove but called over her shoulder, "And make sure you put a sweater on. I know you say you don't get cold, but don't worry my heart so much, okay, love?"

"Okay, Mum," Jude replied. He grabbed a Gryffindor scarf that was hanging on the coat rack and put it around his neck before he walked out.

He walked over to Neville's greenhouse, knowing he was watering his plants and feeding them so they won't die during the snowy season. "Hey, Dad," He greeted as he walked in. He took the scarf from his neck and threw it over Neville's shoulders. "Mum says breakfast is ready."

"Right. Thank you, Jude," Neville nodded, shivering a bit. He rubbed his arms, trying to give them a warmth his jackets didn't. He placed his hand on Jude's shoulder, guiding him out of the greenhouse and taking in some of his warmth. He too envied his son's inability to get cold in even the harshest weather.

Jude grinned as he dug into his meal eagerly once they were all seated. Hannah always made the best breakfast. As much as he loved the food at Hogwarts, he always preferred Hannah's when it came to breakfast.

"How's school been?" Hannah asked the boys curiously. She got letters from Jude and Neville every week, but she knew when Jude left something out, like when he got in trouble or when he had to deal with something hard.

She figured he left it out because he didn't want to worry her, but he had to realize sooner or later that one of her jobs as a mother was to always worry about him. Seeing his saddened face made her wish, not for the first time, that she had found him before that awful Piers Polkiss did.

Jude wiped his mouth as he answered, "It's been good. I've been studying with James and Emma a lot, and now that detention is over, I can actually get a good night's rest after I work on quidditch strategies."

"And you've been getting enough sleep?"

"Uh…yes?"

Neville chuckled as he began to gather the plates, "You're a horrible liar, Jude."

Jude sputtered indignantly, "That's rich coming from you, Dad." He then turned to Hannah, giving her a sheepish smile, "Well, um, studying and quidditch is going well. We won our first match, but…" He scratched his cheek, keeping his gaze on the table. "Adams and Emma broke up because Adams pressured her into having…you know…and James overheard so he and Adams got into a fight. After I suspended Adams, he hit me with a weak _Diffindo_. I had to go to the infirmary."

The meek young man lifted his eyes to his mother and saw her fuming in her seat. He involuntarily flinched and cursed himself for doing so. Hannah and Neville weren't like Piers, they would never lay a hand on him. Still, he guessed his brain hadn't figured that out just yet.

At seeing his flinch, Hannah sighed sadly, "Oh, love, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad about the situations you find yourself in." She placed her hand on his, stroking it tenderly. "Please, you don't have to be afraid."

"I know," Jude whispered with a small smile. "I'm sorry. I know you're nothing like Piers, I just…sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Hannah said reassuringly, kissing his head. She stood from her seat. "I believe your father has a present for you. I said you could wait till Christmas day, but I think it's best if you go today."

Neville smiled as he came back from the kitchen, "Right. Jude, how would you like to have your own bank account?"

Jude's eyes widened in excitement, "My own? Really?" He pumped his fist. "Yes, please! I've always wanted my own."

"Alright then." Neville clapped his hands. "Go get dressed and we'll Apparate to Gringotts." He chuckled at Jude's gag, "After that, we'll get some chocolate pudding."

That sold Jude. He rushed up the stairs and put on his best trousers and blue flannel. He tied up his shoes before he made his way downstairs. He kissed Hannah goodbye and let her try to tame his messy hair like she always did before they went out. Once she was a bit satisfied, she let them Disapparate from the house.

Jude clapped a hand over his mouth, trying to taper down the bile that was starting to sting his throat. He inhaled through his nose, settling it, and caught up with Neville.

As soon as they entered the bank, Jude was in awe. He had never been to a bank before, only heard about it when Piers would complain about cashing in money in, but he knew muggle banks didn't look as amazing as this one did.

"Stay here," Neville instructed Jude as he stepped up to the front desk. "Hello. I have an appointment for the Porter Vault."

The goblin narrowed his eyes and leaned in. Jude's ears strained as he listen to him whisper, " _Do you have the key?_ "

Neville searched his pockets and his cardigan and sighed, shaking his head, "I don't. I forgot to owl McGonagall to send it." He thanked the goblin and turned to Jude, smiling apologetically as he walked up to him, "Sorry, Jude. There were some complications."

"That's alright," Jude smiled. "Can we still get pudding though?"

At that, Neville's smile turned happy. He led Jude out and the two made their way over to a dessert shop in Diagon Alley.

The only thing going around in Jude's head was why did his former headmaster have a key to his vault? And why did he have a vault in the first place? Did his parents leave something for him?


	13. Happy Holidays

**Chapter 13**

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Thorne," Jude greeted, his voice coming out in a harsh rasp as he held back his vomit. He did not want to throw up on their lawn again this year. He inhaled shakily, ignoring the loose saliva in his mouth, "Is Emma ready?"

Mr. Thorne smiled, "She is." He held out his hand to Neville and Hannah. "Hello. I'm Emma's father. You must be Neville and Hannah Longbottom, Jude's parents."

"We are," Neville nodded, shaking the Thornes hands. "I hope you don't mind Emma spending Christmas with the Weasleys. Jude said she had permission but we just wanted to be sure." He ruffled Jude's hair. "We told Jude that if he ever wanted to spend the holidays over here, he'd be more than welcome to."

"That sounds wonderful," Mrs. Thorne said happily. She grabbed something on the small table by the door. She handed Jude a little baggy with 2 pills and a glass of water. "Here you are, Jude dear. They're to help your sickness after you Disapparate. I believe that's what Emma called it."

Jude beamed gratefully, "Thank you so much, Mrs. Thorne." He opened the baggy and put the pills in his mouth. He swallowed them once he drank the water to wash them down. He handed her the glass back with a small smile.

A moment later, Emma came bounding down the stairs. "Oh, you're here already." She kissed her parents' cheeks. "Bye, Mum. Bye, Dad. I'll be back at midnight."

"We'll be waiting," Mr. Thorne said, waving to them just as they Disapparated off the property.

"Jude, my best mate!" James exclaimed loudly when he saw the Longbottoms, Emma, and Jude arrive at the Burrow.

Emma glared, "I'm here too, you know."

"Right. Hey, Em," James nodded quickly. He took Jude by the shoulders and began ushering him into the kitchen, leaving Emma to talk to Rose who came to greet them as well.

Jude raised an eyebrow questioningly as he was rushed in, "What's going on? You're a bit jumpy, mate. Is someone making jokes about you? I'll fight them if they are."

James side eyed him, "You'll fight Teddy?"

"Oh no, not Teddy. Teddy's my friend."

"That's what I like to hear," Teddy grinned once the boys reached the table. He stood from his seat and gave Jude a quick hug. "I was just messing with James." He lowered his voice once he saw Emma approaching, "I'm sure you've told him to get a clue already."

Jude sighed, shaking his head, "You have no idea. Thanks for trying to knock some sense into his dense skull though."

"My pleasure," Teddy chuckled, patting his shoulder and sitting back down.

Emma blinked confusedly at everyone's jeering faces and James' scowl, "What's going on here?"

"Nothing," Jude and James said in unison, shaking their heads.

"I'm gonna walk around. Make sure I don't belatedly throw up," Jude stated offhandedly as he walked into the living room. He took an empty seat next to Ginny who was talking to George and Angelina. He blinked when Ginny seemed to grow eager at his appearance, "What? Did I do something wrong, Mrs. Potter?"

Ginny exchanged amused glances with her brother and her sister-in-law before she chuckled and put her arm around Jude's shoulder, "Oh, Jude, like that would ever happen. No, I'm just glad you're here. I need to catch up with my son but he seems to be so tight lipped these days."

"Oh," Jude exhaled nervously, rubbing his hands on his trousers. He gave her a smile, unconsciously giving her a puppy dog face, "What did you want to know?"

Ginny pursed her lips thoughtfully. She waved to George and Angelina, silently asking them to leave the two. Just as the two did so, she turned to Jude. "Why did James have another month of detention?"

Jude fidgeted with the collar of his shirt. "Oh, that. Well…" He cleared his dry throat, wincing at the scratch it produced which made his eyes water. "Emma broke up with her boyfriend and when James found out the reason why, he attacked Adams. The only reason he didn't get even more detention was because it was for a good reason and because Adams shot a _Diffindo_ at me."

"Did James bat bogey hex him?" At Jude's nod, Ginny nodded in satisfaction, "Good. I would've done much worse had it been me." She grinned smugly, "James truly is my son. I taught him that hex, you know?"

"James told me," Jude grinned back. "I've learned it but I haven't found the right person to use it on yet."

"You will. Trust me." The two shared a laugh. Ginny raised an eyebrow, asking, "So James tells me you're the quidditch captain. How did that work out for you?"

Jude licked his dry lips, "Much different than I expected. It's challenging, especially in my 5th year, but I love it." His grin brightened. "I really love having a team to call my own. We won our first game and I can only ask that we do just as great in the next couple of games."

Ginny squeezed his shoulder with a small smile, "You're a good kid, Jude." She stood from the couch and took him with her. "Come on then. Mum should have supper ready by now, and if you're anything like my kids, I know you need your food just like you need air. I helped my mum this time so you can relax and just eat however much you like."

"Marry me, Mrs. Potter."

"Ask me again when you're older, Bub."

Dinner went along nicely. James was happy to note to Jude that his father only glared all of once and that was when Ginny chose to sit next to Jude and not him as a joke. Jude found that he had no problem with the death glares and the dirty looks Harry and Albus gave him. He wondered if it meant that things were finally going his way.

He cut that train of thought quickly. He didn't want to jinx anything.

Everyone sat in the large living room to exchange gifts. Jude got clothes and books from everyone. He didn't have the heart to reject the scarfs and gloves they gave even though he had an entire closet full of them. He did like some of the jackets they gave him. The black and blue one Ginny and Lily picked out was one of his favorites. The sweater Mrs. Weasley knitted him all those years ago was his favorite by far. He wore it almost every day during the winter.

Once everyone was settled and before they left, Jude followed Louis, James, Teddy, Hugo, Albus, Roxanne, Fred, Emma, and Lily outside for their quidditch match. He took a broom and flew into the sky, happy to simply watch them fly around. He had never tried a different position other than seeker and he didn't feel like embarrassing himself if it turned out that was all he was good at.

"You alright?"

Jude turned his head, finding Lily floating next to him. He tilted his head questioningly, glancing at the others who were still playing, "What are you doing over here?"

Lily shrugged, silently grateful that she could blame the red on her cheeks on the freezing temperature, "You looked lonely over here."

"I didn't mean to," Jude replied lightly. He gave her a small smile, "Thank you for coming to keep me company. I know how much you like playing with your family."

"They're your family too, Jude," Lily commented, flying closer to lightly nudge him.

Jude's smile grew as his eyes widened in wonder, "Oh wow. Imagine if I was legally tied to your family." He perked up suddenly, turning to her. Lily's cheeks heated up. She knew she couldn't blame the nippy cold for this.

"Do you think Teddy and Victoire would adopt me?"

Lily deadpanned, the heat slowly leaving her cheeks, "I think you're a little too old for them to adopt you."

Jude snapped his fingers, pouting, "Aw, shucks. There goes that plan." He placed his hands behind his head, smiling as he watched Emma and James cheer at their goal. "I'll just have to find another way to be legally bound to you guys." He grinned softly at Lily, "I'm not letting you guys go without a fight."

"And vice versa, Jude," Lily smiled once more. Her heart beat a bit faster and a happy flush came over her, warming her as she gazed at Jude's content face.


	14. New Years

**Chapter 14**

The light that escaped through the curtains hit Jude's face rudely. The young man grunted irritably, moving around to try and grab the sweet sleep that was slowly escaping him thanks to the stupid sunlight. With a reluctant sigh, Jude slowly opened his eyes and gave a long groan at the thought of getting up.

"Shut up," James gave a mumbled shout, throwing his pillow at him and cutting off his friend's groan. He gave a rough sigh and snuggled back into his blankets, "Just because you're awake doesn't mean I have to be."

"Sorry, mate," Jude yawned, rubbing his eyes. He shucked the covers off himself and made his way to the bathroom next to James' room.

Once he was fully awake and ready for the day, he put on his glasses and made his way to the kitchen. He smiled when he saw Ginny standing by the stove, pots and pans floating around, making the eggs, heating up the bacon and sausages, and fixing up the hash browns.

"It smells delicious," Jude commented when Ginny glanced at him. "Do you need any help, Mrs. Potter?"

Ginny chuckled, ruffling his hair, "You're a doll, Jude, but no, thank you. I've got everything under control here." She gave him plates and silverware. "Here, if you really want to help, you can set the table for me? Merlin knows I can't ask my own kids to do just menial chores."

Jude laughed as he began to do as she asked, "It's fine. I spent most of my life as a muggle so doing chores like this isn't anything hard."

"Bless your heart."

It wasn't until the food was completely done that everyone exited their rooms or the bathrooms to eat. Jude stuck his tongue out to James who glared at him for having a larger portion of food on his plate. Ginny was giving him special treatment and he honestly didn't have it in him to complain. He tried to tell her she didn't have to but she wasn't hearing that.

"Thank you for the meal, Mrs. Potter," Emma said once she finished her food.

James nodded, his mouth full of bacon, "Yeah. Thanks, Mum."

"It really was delicious, Mrs. Potter," Jude stated with a smile which widened when Ginny ruffled his hair once more.

"Such nice kids," Ginny muttered as she took the plates with Lily's help.

Once the kitchen was clean, the kids decided to head to the backyard to have a short quidditch match. Jude, still not used to flying any other broom besides his own, was still able to catch the snitch Ginny threw at them, albeit a bit clumsily.

The kids, minus Albus, talked for a bit longer before Harry and Ginny Apparated Emma back to her house. Jude waited at the house a bit longer, chatting with James and Lily about every little thing in the wizarding world, before Harry and Ginny came back. With them, Neville and Hannah arrived. They stayed for supper and chatted a bit. The Longbottoms and Jude said goodbye and Apparated back to the Leaky Cauldron.

The rest of the week after New Years went by quickly. The trio was soon back in school, ready to take on whatever was thrown at them. As long as it wasn't thrown that hard, Jude thought to himself.


	15. Here's the Birthday Boy

**Chapter 15**

The pull of consciousness made Jude open his eyes. Once they were fully opened, taking in the blurry surrounding, he realized why everything felt weird. The last couple of years, when he woke up on his birthday, it was because he was woken by either James or Carlos. Either someone finally told Carlos to stop trying to cuddle with him while he was asleep or they simply forgot it was his birthday.

He didn't hold it against them. Everyone was pretty busy this year. Hell, he almost forgot it was his birthday. If he hadn't seen the calendar in the captain's quarters, he wouldn't have known he turned 16 before February came. Studying day and night, weekends and weekdays really did know how to fry someone's brains.

Sitting up in his bed, Jude yawned and stretched his arms above his head. He stood from the bed and rubbed his slightly sore neck as he made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Once he was done, he walked down to the common room. He blinked when he found his friends, upper and lowerclassmen, grinning widely at his appearance. He rubbed at his face, making sure he didn't have left over drool or toothpaste on him.

"What's going on?"

James stepped forward and gave him a hug, whispering, "Happy birthday, mate." He pulled away and took his arm, dragging him to the couch. He sat him down and took a box from Emma who was still beaming at him. He knelt down and presented the gift. "To my best mate in the entire world, wizarding and muggle, I give you one of my best gifts."

"Aw, mate, you didn't have to," Jude smiled a bit timidly as he took the present.

As he opened it, James shrugged with a grin, "It's nothing. Besides, you always go all out when it's mine or Emma's birthday. And this is your last birthday before you become an adult in the eyes of the wizarding world, so we all thought it would be great to celebrate your last birthday as a kid." He patted Jude's shoulder with a mock frown, "You're gonna be the one who has to learn how to be an adult before any of us."

Emma rolled her eyes as Jude shuddered, "You two are so dramatic."

The two boys chuckled amusedly. Once the wrapping paper was gone, Jude gazed down at his present and grinned widely, "No way." He pulled out the Puddlemere United jersey that had his last name on the back.

He jumped from the couch and gave James a big hug. "Oh, mate. You really didn't have to but thank you."

He took off the jumper he got from Mrs. Weasley and put the jersey on over the thin long sleeve he had on underneath. The two then did their secret handshake, something they felt like they hadn't done in a long while. Carlos pouted enviously like he always did at the display.

"Well, it's going to be hard to match up to that," Emma mumbled with a fond smile. She handed Jude the present she had for him. "I hope you like it."

"If you got it for me, there's no way I'll hate it," Jude commented, not noticing the beam he got from Emma. He tilted his head confusedly when he opened the gift. Inside the box was a tiny acoustic guitar.

Emma smiled sheepishly, "Sorry. I had to shrink it down so it wouldn't be obvious." She had one of the 7th years cast a spell on it to make it bigger. "You said you really like muggle music and wanted to learn how to play the guitar so I asked my dad if I could get you one. He was very happy to buy it. He and my mother say happy birthday as well."

The guitar, now normal size, sat in Jude's lap nicely. He breathed in awe, stroking the smooth wood, "It's beautiful." He turned to Emma, his eyes bright behind his glasses. "Tell your mum and dad I said thank you, for this and the birthday wish."

"I will." The two shared a hug.

More gifts were given after that, though obviously none matched up to the ones given by James and Emma.

Carlos gave him a bracelet he made during the break, Jared simply passed him some sickles, Louis gave him some stuff for his broomstick which he really needed, Hugo handed him a book that detailed the life of famous wizards, and Lily gave him treacle fudge and another journal.

The last one was filled with quidditch strategies so he was grateful to get another; he couldn't believe Lily remembered when he mentioned that a few weeks ago. Heck, a part of him forgot that he needed another one which is why he didn't ask for one for Christmas.

Those who didn't have any gifts simply wished him a happy birthday and it still made him happier each time someone said it and meant it.

It was Sunday so they didn't have any classes. Even with that being said, Jude still got many birthday wishes from his teachers and other staff members.

Professor Lively waved her wand and the words 'happy birthday' appeared in front of him when he was walking down the hall. Professor Neal gave him a card that told him happy birthday in moving stars. Professor Walton told him in many nice words that he was happy to have him in class and jokingly let it slip that a test was coming up soon. Hagrid gave him a small cup of pudding and the beasts gave him licks for his birthday.

Though they didn't have to help Professor Harmon anymore for detention, Jude still liked to visit her during his free time. On this happy day, she gave him a miniature broomstick and told him happy birthday. Professor Alexander, who he met while he was leaving the field, gave him a warm hug and ruffled his hair before wishing him a happy birthday as well.

He wasn't blushing and he denied any redness on his face when James tried to tease him during lunch.

Hestia dropped off a bunch of letters he got. Ginny, Fred, Roxanne, Teddy, Victoire, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, George, Angelina, Audrey, Dominique, Bill, and Fleur all wrote to him, slipping some small trinkets in and telling him happy birthday. Even Kelli and Olivia wrote to him. His smile was so big it was beginning to hurt his cheeks but he didn't care.

After dinner, before they were supposed to go to bed, Jude walked to the greenhouse and knocked on the door, knowing his father was still tending to the plants.

"Come in."

Jude walked in with a small smile, "Hey, Dad. Do you need any help?"

Neville smiled back as he continued to water some of the plants, "What are you still doing up, Jude? I know it's your birthday but that doesn't mean the prefects will go easy on you."

"Emma's a prefect and she said she'd cover for me. I didn't ask her to, but she knew I wanted to come down here before I went to bed so…" Jude shrugged. He smiled a bit timidly but gratefulness was in his tone as he spoke, "I just wanted to say thank you for taking me in. Its days like this that remind me of how much better my life has gotten since I met you and Mum. I can't thank you enough."

Neville's face softened at the admission. He set down the water can down and walked over to Jude, taking him in his arms and holding him tightly. His throat tightened when he realized how tall Jude had gotten after all these years, the younger male now barely an inch shorter than him.

"Every day I'm so happy we found you, Jude. You are our pride and joy," Neville whispered, his eyes red with unshed tears. He pulled back and dropped a kiss to Jude's head and patted his shoulders with a smile. "Don't ever forget that, Jude. You are everything to us."

He reached into his pocket and took out a key. He clarified when Jude stared at him confusedly, "You remember when I took you to Gringotts to make you a bank account and we couldn't because I didn't have a key. Well, here it is."

"No way," Jude breathed in disbelief. He shakily took the key in his hands and gazed at the object in awe, "You mean, every time I have money, it's just stored in there for me?"

Neville nodded, "Yes, yes. And don't worry, if you ever run out, you know you can always come to me and your mum. But um…" He scratched his chin uneasily. "You already had a bank account left for you which is why the key was already made. Your, uh…your father, your real father, left that for you."

At the mention of a man he had never heard anything about, Jude's eyes widened at the new information. His father, the man who he had always wished to know more about, had left him something for him and maybe more in that vault; a vault that probably had many answers for his asked and unasked questions.

"Whenever you want to open it, I'll be with you."

Jude moved his eyes back up to Neville and nodded gratefully. He wrapped his arms around the older man tightly. "Thank you so much," He whispered thickly, his voice choked with tears. "I love you, Dad."

It was as if the world fell off Neville's shoulders. His body relaxed as he hugged his son back tightly, "I love you too, Jude."


	16. Put Some Oomph Into It

**Chapter 16**

"Wait, so you're telling me that our former headmaster had a key to your vault?" James asked both inquisitively and a bit incredulously.

Jude had taken him and Emma to the Room of Requirement so they could speak in private about what had happened over break and what happened a few days ago on his birthday when Neville gave him the key to his vault.

He realized how ridiculous it sounded. He had never met McGonagall until he started going to school here and she retired the next year. Throughout their first year, the only thing she did for him that was a bit out of the ordinary was buy him his trusty Lightningbolt.

Then again, James did say she bought Harry his first broomstick as well. Maybe she did it because she wanted him to win for the team or she had a soft spot for seekers.

"I'm telling you, the reason I didn't get to make it during the break was because Neville said Professor McGonagall had the key. I heard him say that," Jude said firmly. "I wouldn't lie about something like this, and I'm not going mental or something. I heard what he said. You have to believe me."

Emma smacked James' arm before smiling reassuringly at Jude, "We do believe you, Jude. Do you have any idea why Professor McGonagall would have your key? Maybe keeping it in a safe spot?"

Jude pursued his lips and shook his head, "I don't think so. How would it be safe if I didn't know about it? Heck, I didn't even know I had a vault already made."

"What do you think is in it?" James piped up. He rubbed his chin in thought, "I remember my dad said he had a lot of money in his vault because the Potters were rich. I wonder if the Porters were rich."

"I don't know," Jude groaned, letting his head fall in his hands. "I just want this stupid mystery to end." He sniffed, "If McGonagall knew about my parents, how come she didn't tell me? What's the big secret?"

Emma rubbed his shoulder in hopes to comfort him, "Jude, if we knew, we'd tell you in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, we know just as much as you do."

This wasn't going anywhere, Jude thought to himself miserably. He set his head on the table that appeared next to him and exhaled deeply. He just wanted the mystery to stop. He wanted to know what made him special, special like Harry Potter. There was no prophecy titling him as the Chosen One. If there was, that would've made things much less frustrating.

But here he was, a teen that was orphaned at the age of 2, leaving him with no memory of his father or mother. When he finally found out that he was a wizard, he thought that would be his saving grace, that maybe someone knew his parents in Hogwarts. But he was wrong. The name Porter didn't hold the same weight as Potter did when Harry was in school.

What was worse was that the only person who knew anything about him was the man trying to kill him. If Jude was any less sane, he would approach Lazarus and ask why he was so special to the man. Maybe he would get a straight answer this time.

"So when do you want to go?" James' voice brought him out of his depressing thoughts.

Jude turned his head on the table to gaze at his best friend. "What?"

"To McGonagall's. You said you were going to open the vault during the break. Are you going to go to McGonagall's to maybe get some answers?"

"Oh. Uh, no…" Jude blinked slowly. "I thought that would be too intrusive. I didn't want to interrogate her or anything."

James sat up in his chair and shook his head, "Jude, this is when you need to be as intrusive as you can get. You're way too nice but you're not going to get any information if you keep holding yourself back."

Before Jude could frown at that, Emma sighed but nodded in agreement, "James is right, Jude. Right now is the best time to start trying to get what you want. It's been 14 years and you haven't even learned your parents' real names."

They made incredibly good points. Jude didn't like being harsh with people even when the situation called for it; a part of him was still scared, still scarred from when he would ask Piers for something or when he would back talk and ended up getting smacked in the face for his tone or words.

This was different. Piers wasn't here anymore. He never had to see him again. He didn't have to be afraid of the man who made his life horrible for 9 years. This was his life and if he wanted to get anywhere, he had to suck up whatever fears were holding him back and keep moving forward.

"Okay," Jude heaved a deep sigh. His hands fidgeted in his lap and twisting his fingers together didn't stop them from shaking. "Okay, I'll do it." He gazed up at his friends pleadingly, "Will you help me?"

James and Emma exchanged glanced before grinning at him. "Of course, mate," James replied. "You know you don't have to ask at this point."

"Honestly, Jude, we'll help you with anything you need."

A sniffle made the two startle. Jude waved one hand while wiping his tears with the other when he saw them take a step towards him. "I'm fine. I'm fine," He cleared his throat which was beginning to tighten due to his rampant emotions. "Thank you, guys. Thank you so much. I couldn't have asked for better friends. I don't deserve you two."

The two softened at the admission and finally stepped forward to gather their friend in a group hug. Jude hugged them back tightly, his chest warm with the love he was getting from his friends. He wanted this moment to last longer but he knew they had some brainstorming to do.

Once they pulled away, he spoke up, "So, how do we do this?"


	17. The Key

**Chapter 17**

Never in Jude's life had something ever caught his attention so much. Sure, quidditch usually took up his mind but it wasn't something he obsessed over so much that he could barely focus on anything else.

This key was going to be the death of his grades and it could quite possibly cost him the match against Hufflepuff if he didn't shape up soon.

In his hand, he held the key, no pun intended, to unveiling whatever information he could get about his past, something a lot of people were so tight lipped on. The vault it opened could tell him something about his parents. There could be something in there his parents left specifically for him. He needed the break to come sooner because he was going to go mad if he didn't find out what was inside.

"What are you doing?" A familiar voice asked.

Jude moved his gaze from the key and found Lily standing in front of him, shivering immensely. He blinked, glancing around; he almost forgot he was in Hogsmeade. The key really did take up too much of his thoughts.

He shook his head, pocketing the key but kept his hand on it, "Nothing much. Just thinking too much, I guess."

"Where are James and Emma?" Lily sat down on the bench next to him, gazing a bit confusedly.

"Um…" Jude licked his dry lips. He turned his head towards the bookstore behind him and found his two friends talking about some book. Dang, he needed to pay attention more.

He turned back to Lily and gestured to the store. "They're inside, looking at some book. I decided to wait out here." He put on a smile, "Whenever I'm with them, I can never tell if they're going to fight or kiss."

Lily giggled, "I hear ya. It's the same way when we're at home. All James does is talk about you two, but when he talks about Emma, there's always some kind of frustration or awe in his tone. I think he's in love."

"He has been since 2nd year." The two shared a laughed.

A beat later, Lily nudged him with a small smile, "Now what's really been bugging you?" When he gazed at her in surprise, she shrugged, her cheeks flushed, "Even when you're not with James or Emma, you're usually walking on about, trying to figure out what store you want to go into next."

Jude scratched his cheek self-consciously, a blush staining his cheeks, "Do I really?" He glanced at Lily who kept her eyes on her feet. He then cleared his throat, taking the key out of his pocket. "Neville gave me a key to my vault for my birthday."

"He made you a vault?"

"No, it was already made." Jude fidgeted with the key. "It's been on my mind so much lately. Until the break, I'm just gonna keep wondering what's in there. I wanna know if my parents left something for me." He scrunched his lips up when he felt his throat tighten. "I just want to find out something about them."

Lily reached out and rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sure you will. You shouldn't give up hope just because you have to wait."

Jude smiled lightly, "You're right. I've waited 14 years, I'm sure I can wait a few more weeks till break." He placed his warm hand over Lily's. "Thank you, Lily. I really needed to take my mind off this."

"And what are you two doing?"

The two on the bench stood up quickly at the question. Jude turned to James and Emma who were grinning teasingly. He felt a blush creep onto his cheeks again. "We were just talking."

"Were you?" James jibbed.

Lily rolled her eyes, still haughty despite her red cheeks, "Yes, we were." She gave Jude a small smile. "I'll see you later."

"Bye," Jude whispered, giving her a small wave as she walked back to her friends. He tilted his head curiously when he noticed Lily's friends staring over at him and giggling while Lily was shaking her head. "What's going on over there?"

James sighed, a smile twitching on his lips while Emma giggled. The red head grabbed their arms and moved them away from the store. "Come on, you two. Let's get some butterbeer before we go back to the dorms."

Jude pumped his fist. "Yes!" He happily walked on ahead, waving his arms about.

"He's like our child," James muttered to Emma amusedly.

"I think we raised him right," Emma quipped. She nudged him playfully. "But I'm obviously the favorite."

James narrowed his eyes, "Yeah right. I'm his best mate."

"Right," Emma drawled. She cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted, "Jude, do you want to go to Honeydukes after?"

Jude beamed, "Really?" At Emma's nod, he ran back over to give her a hug. He then released her and ran towards the Three Broomsticks.

"You play dirty," James shook his head. He smirked, "But are you gonna pay for his share of sweets as well?"

At that, Emma lowered her head, remembering the money she spent for her books and for a new skirt. James patted her arm but kept a smug grin on as they followed their friend into the Three Broomsticks.


	18. Second Match

**Chapter 18**

Jude exhaled slowly as he listened to the crowd outside. It was the second match for Gryffindor and the first match with Carlos as their new beater. Jude didn't think they'd be worse than they were before seeing as how Carlos has done everything in his power to become a much better beater than Leon, so that was one less thing to worry about.

It was also Jude's second match as captain. He could take the practices and the late nights of coming up with strategies, but when it came to actually playing against the other houses, his nerves always got the best of him.

He cut off that train of thought before it consumed him with negativity and turned to his team, giving them a nod, "Alright, guys. Are you ready for this?"

"Yes, Captain!" The rest of the team chorused.

"Okay then," Jude swallowed dryly. "Let's get out there and do our best, guys!"

"Right!"

The Gryffindor team mounted their broomsticks and flew into the air where the Hufflepuff team was waiting for them. The crowd's cheering grew wilder when they saw them fly next to the other team.

A fifth year Slytherin tapped the mic and began announcing, " _Hello everyone and welcome to the Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff quidditch match. You may know the teams from their previous games but let us introduce them again._

" _From the Hufflepuff house, we have captain and keeper, 7_ _th_ _year Meredith Voorhees. For the chasers, we have 5_ _th_ _year Brittany Dance, 6_ _th_ _year Michelle Smith, and 7_ _th_ _year Alan Short. For the beaters, we have 4_ _th_ _year Donnie Maxwell and 3_ _rd_ _year Josh Hayes. For their seeker, we have 4_ _th_ _year Ellie Marks. Let's hear it for them!_ "

The crowd cheered for the Hufflepuff team who took the praise modestly. Jude always liked the Hufflepuff house. The only time he was hesitant to go against them was when Beckett was their seeker. He was headstrong and a bit aggressive when it came to the game, but he had a good heart.

He wondered what Beckett was doing now.

" _From the Gryffindor house, we have captain and seeker, 5_ _th_ _year Jude Porter. For the chasers, we have 5_ _th_ _years James Potter and Emma Thorne, and 3_ _rd_ _year Lily Potter. For the beaters, we have 7_ _th_ _year Louis Weasley and 5_ _th_ _year Carlos Curry. For the keeper, we have 3_ _rd_ _year Hugo Weasley. Let's give them a round of applause!_ "

Jude and the others grinned and waved at the wild roars for them. If there was one thing Jude liked about different commentators, it was that they never drew attention to just him. That being said, he did enjoy Conners as the announcer; he was just too funny and Professor Alexander's reactions were always priceless. He was going to miss him and his antics.

After Professor Neal gave the rules, the teams shot off in different directions as the chasers fought for the quaffle.

Jude ducked under a bludger, still keeping his eyes and ears open and ready for any small sound. He knew didn't have to worry much about Ellie since she didn't have much experience and she wasn't as headstrong as Beckett, but he did worry. He always had to keep one eye on the pitch and the other on the seeker against him.

He gripped the neck of his broom and listened.

" _And Lily has done it again! That gives Gryffindor the lead; 50-30._ "

The Hufflepuff, Ellie, was circling the pitch, passing him for the third time. He didn't let it bother him and continued to keep watch from where he was, away from the chasers, the beaters, and especially the bludgers.

He had enough of rogue bludgers.

" _Nice one, James! That's 70-40 with Gryffindor still in the lead._ "

The snitch was close, he could feel it. He just had to listen.

" _Thorne has given Gryffindor another goal, leaving the score 80-40._ "

A sharp buzzing sound crept into his ears. Jude snapped his eyes around and found the snitch practically following the Gryffindor chasers. Without a second thought, he shot off towards it. Seconds later, Ellie was speeding to trail after him.

The cheers grew wilder as the commentator announced, " _Porter has found the snitch! Let's see if Marks can take him on this year._ "

Jude dodged the beaters and bludgers they sent his way as he kept his eye on the snitch while flying as fast as he could. A glance behind him showed that Ellie wasn't getting far since Carlos and Louis were doing a good job at trying to throw her off the trail he left.

He maneuvered through the chasers with a bit difficulty but was able to get his eyes back on the snitch quickly. He stretched his arm out, only inches away from the snitch.

When his hand closed around the snitch, he hadn't realized he had circled around the pitch, causing him to end up in the center of the pitch where the chasers were. Coming out of his somewhat tunnel vision, his eyes widened when he realized he was going to crash into someone.

Right as their brooms crashed, he wrapped his arms around the chaser and twisted his body to hit the ground.

He shouldn't have been surprised when he felt his broomstick under him and the falling sensation in his stomach cease. He quickly moved his hand to his eyes and opened his hand. The snitch's wings fluttered out slowly in his palm.

The crowd began cheering again. The announcer clapped her hands as she spoke, " _And like that, Porter ends the match. Gryffindor wins with 210-60 lead! Congrats, you guys. You earned it!_ "

Jude grinned a bit shakily, raising his hand in the air as everyone cheered. He glanced down at the chaser in his arms and felt his neck heat up uncomfortably when his blue eyes locked onto familiar brown ones that weren't James.

"Sorry, Lily," He whispered apologetically as he lowered them to the ground. "I didn't mean to fly into you. Hopefully your broom's okay."

Lily shook her head, her cheeks just as red as his, "It's fine, Jude. You were after the snitch and only focused on that. I know you didn't mean to hit me." She reached up and squeezed the arm that was still around her, a grin on her lips, "It doesn't matter. You caught the snitch and won us the match!"

"We won the match!" Jude cheered with her and took her into his arms again without even thinking about.

Emma, thankfully, put the poor girl out of her misery by taking her out of the hug so she and James could hug their oblivious friend.


	19. She Was Always A Mother

**Chapter 19**

"You got the address?" James asked for the third time as the three of them sat in their compartment on the train taking them home. "Are you sure you wanna go by yourself? Emma and I would be happy to go with you if you're too nervous to see McGonagall. I mean, she's practically part of my family, so you know…"

Break had finally come and he knew how antsy Jude was now that he could finally visit McGonagall and maybe open his vault if he liked the explanation the former headmaster gave him. He didn't want Jude going alone if she told him something he should never hear. He knew he was being a bit overprotective but this was his best friend he was talking about, and Jude deserved the best the world had to offer.

Jude smiled reassuringly, "I'll be fine, James. It's not like I have high hopes on whatever she's going to say about my parents." He shrugged, "Had we been in the muggle world, I'd wonder if they were teachers or doctors; people who helped others. In the wizarding world, as long as they weren't dark wizards, I'll be happy with whatever she tells me."

"I swear, Jude," James sighed deeply, "You're too kind for your own good."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Emma rolled her eyes, setting her book down, "No, it's not a bad thing. It's actually a really good thing." She glared at James, "Not only will you make friends easily, but girls like boys who are kind and talk about their feelings."

"I guess you're not speaking from experience."

Jude shook his head disappointedly as Emma elbowed James in annoyance. He rubbed his forehead and gave Emma a smile, "Thanks for clearing that up, Emma."

"You're welcome, Jude," Emma smiled back, though he could see the tightness in the corners of it. "So, are you going to tell Neville and Hannah about going?"

"I don't know. I'm a little apprehensive on how they'll react," Jude replied, feeling his stomach constrict uncomfortably. "Neville was a bit sad when he gave me the key. I guess he thought that I would love them less if I found out more about my parents."

He rubbed his eyes when he felt them sting with unshed tears. "They've done so much for me and I don't want them to think I'm ungrateful. I love them so much but I really…I really want to know more about what happened to my parents."

James smiled slightly in sympathy while Emma dabbed at her own eyes and sniffling as she spoke, "Don't make me cry, Jude. My parents will ask questions."

"Sorry," Jude smiled softly, wiping his own tears away.

Later, the train came to a stop. The three grabbed their bags and made their way out of the compartment. Unlike winter break, the train wasn't as packed, something Jude wasn't used to since this was barely the second year he was going home during the spring.

James turned to his friend once they were off the train, "If Neville or Hannah asks, you're staying with Emma?"

Jude glanced at Emma who nodded. He turned back to James and nodded, "Yeah. I know they can just Apparate over to her house but it's better this way. Also, Emma lives much closer to McGonagall's address, so it's much easier to go back and forth."

"Alright," James sighed. He held out his hand and the two did their secret handshake before he gave Emma a quick one-armed hug. He waved to them and made his way to where Lily and Albus were huddled.

Emma hooked her arm around Jude's and began walking, "Let's get going then. We'll take a bus to my place. My parents will be working late today."

It took about an hour to get to the Thorne house but it was still daylight outside so Jude made sure Emma was going to be okay by herself before he began making his way to the address James had given him by taxicab. Despite his protests, James and Emma gave him a generous amount of money to get to his destination.

He would've taken his broomstick but both James and Emma said that would've looked too much out of the ordinary, so, reluctantly, he decided to forgo it. Riding in a taxicab wasn't all that bad. He just wasn't used to it is all.

The sun was close to setting by the time he got to the house. He paid the man driving and stepped out of the muggle vehicle. He swallowed dryly as he stared at the home. It was a modest size and something he could find himself comfortable in.

He walked through the pathway and to the front door where he knocked. He only had to wait a few moments before the door was opened, revealing his former headmaster.

His hands shook causing him to clench them into fists. His heart pounded in his chest, sending blood rushing towards his ears, almost rendering him deaf. Mouth dry, he couldn't even greet the woman properly.

"Mr. Porter?" McGonagall asked in confusion. "Might I ask what you're doing here?"

"I…" His eyes stung when his scratchy throat protested. He inhaled deeply and tried to speak again, "P-Professor, I…I came to ask you some questions about my parents."

McGonagall stared at him for a long moment, and before Jude could grab whatever wits he had left and high tail it out of there, she sighed and stepped away from the door, gesturing him to come inside.

"I knew this day would come," She said as they walked through her house. She put her hand on his shoulder and let him to her dining room. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Water would be nice, thank you," He replied a bit hoarsely.

She waved her wand causing two glasses of water to float towards the table. She sat down and nodded to the seat perpendicular to hers. He sat down, silently grateful to be off his shaky knees. He took a large gulp of the water, mentally sighing in relief when it soothed the scratchiness of his throat.

McGonagall clasped her hands together and placed them on the table, giving Jude her full attention. "What is it that you wanted to know specifically?"

Jude set the glass down and licked his lips. "Were they muggleborns?"

"No, no," She shook her head. "Your father came from a long line of wizards, as did your mother. Neither families were pureblood."

"So I'm a half-blood?" He inquired. At her nod, a smile came onto his lips, "That's one thing I don't have to worry about anymore." He scratched his head thoughtfully, "What houses were they in?"

"Both were in Gryffindor. Your father was a year older than your mother, however."

"What were they like?"

"Your father was the kindest young man I had ever met. He never judged, he didn't discriminate, and he was always loyal. Your mother was stubborn and brave. Her red hair matched her fiery attitude. She was often in detention because she was always standing up for those who needed help."

"What were their names? When did they get together?"

At this, McGonagall sighed, her eyes sympathetic, "Jude, this might be hard to hear."

Jude shook his head, ignoring the tightening of his throat, "It's fine. I can take it. I want to know everything about them. I don't want you to stop because it might be hard for me to swallow the information."

"Alright then," McGonagall exhaled. "Your father's name was Daniel Porter and your mother's Bonnie Wesley."

Tears dripped down Jude's face without him noticing. This was the first time someone had ever said their names and now…now it finally seemed like they were real. Like he wasn't born out of random magic and left in the muggle world.

McGonagall continued with a small frown, "They had met in their earlier years at Hogwarts. Daniel fell in love with Bonnie in their last years. But Bonnie wasn't in love with Daniel."

That stopped the tears. "What do you mean?" Jude questioned, puzzled. How could she not love his father? Weren't they married?

"Your mother loved your father but she wasn't in love with him," She clarified. "One drunken night after winning the quidditch cup, they accidentally ended up conceiving you." Her eyes turned sorrowful. "Daniel was ecstatic, but Bonnie was only 16 and she didn't want to be a mother. She…"

She didn't need to finish the sentence. Jude clenched his jaw and covered his mouth with his hands. It physically hurt to hear that. While he understood her dilemma, it still hurt that she hadn't wanted him to begin with because out of everyone, he thought his parents loved him more than anyone in the whole world.

He was surprised when McGonagall took one of his hands away from his face and squeezed it between hers. She gave him a comforting smile, "Daniel wanted you so badly. He even created a spell to pass on any aches or pains to him so she wouldn't have to worry. Your father loved you before you were even born. He wanted you more than anyone else in this world."

His heart skipped a beat at that. He removed his hand from his mouth as his lips spread into a happy smile.

With that joyful thought, he asked one more question, "How did you know my father? Why did you have the key to the vault he made?"

"I knew your father's parents when they were in school," McGonagall explained. "They were my favorite students. Your grandfather was the son I never had. They graduated a bit before the war became more intense and I didn't see them again until Daniel was born. They gave me the key to the family vault and told me to hold onto it until Daniel went to Hogwarts."

Her eyes became wet as she continued, "When Daniel was 8 years old, your grandparents died in an accident. I took care of Daniel after that. Once he had you, he gave me the key and asked me to give it to you when you started at Hogwarts."

"But you were the headmaster when I began. Why didn't you give it to me then and tell me about my parents?" Jude asked with a furrowed brow.

McGonagall shook her head sadly, "I thought you had died in the fire. I didn't even want to believe that Daniel had died. A fire? It had to be impossible." She clarified when Jude seemed confused, "He had an affinity for fire, just like his father before him."

Jude exhaled lightly at the information, sitting back in his chair, "So it's a hereditary thing."

"Yes," McGonagall nodded. "When I saw your name on the mailing list, I had thought you were just another boy. Imagine my surprise when I saw you. It was like getting thrown back into time. I was suddenly looking at Daniel."

"I look like him?" Jude beamed.

McGonagall smiled back, "You're his spitting image. Though you have the shape of your mother's eyes."

Jude's hand unconsciously touched his eyes. "Wow," He breathed happily. He smiled and reached over, placing his hand over McGonagall's and squeezed, "Thank you. Thank you so much for telling me about them."

"You're welcome, Jude. It was the least I could do," McGonagall squeezed back. "I'm sorry I didn't get to take care of you earlier. I told Neville that if you ever needed me, I would be here for whatever you needed."

"Thank you again." Jude sighed heavily before asking, "Do you know where he's buried, if he was buried?"

McGonagall nodded, "Yes. He was buried in Godric's Hollow. I believe the cemetery isn't far from where you old house is. Let me write down the address."

Jude watched as a piece of parchment and a quill came towards the table, writing out the address. He took it with a grateful smile, "Thank you again, Professor." When they stood from the table, he gave her a hug, much to her surprise. "I'd like to visit again, if that's alright?"

"It's more than alright, Jude," McGonagall smiled as she embraced him.


	20. My Persons

**Chapter 20**

Emma and James exchanged glances as they stared at Jude who laid on the floor of the room of requirement with dazed eyes and a wide smile. He had been like that ever since he got back from McGonagall's over the break. Emma hadn't been able to get him to speak up on the matter and when they got on the train, James couldn't do much either.

Their friend was over the moon.

"So…" James began slowly. "I take it the visit with McGonagall went well?"

The two were startled when Jude sprung up and beamed brightly, "Well? It went amazingly, mate." He flopped down on the floor with an ecstatic laugh. "Oh, I…I can't believe I actually found something out about them. I actually asked someone about my parents and they weren't vague or evasive. I just…"

At the sound of his sniffling, James and Emma felt their heart constrict a bit as they watched Jude place a hand on his face to cover the tears pouring out of his eyes. When a sob ripped from his throat, they quickly moved off the couch that the room gave them to give him a hug.

Jude shook his head, his face flushed, as he sat up, his eyes red as he tried to hold in the tears, "I'm okay, really guys. I just…" He sniffed and wiped his runny nose. "I'm just a little overwhelmed. I feel light but my chest hurts like-like…"

"Like you just want to cry," Emma finished. She rubbed his shoulder with a sympathetic smile, "It's okay to cry, Jude. If anyone one of us deserves to let it all out, it's you."

And like that, Jude's face crumbled as onslaught of tears continued to pour out. He sobbed into Emma's shoulder as she held him. James' fingers carding through his hair gave him just as much comfort as Emma's embrace.

Once the tears finally halted, Jude shook in Emma's arms before he inhaled deeply, trying to get his bearings back. He sniffled once more as he lifted himself out of her arms. He cleared his tight throat that was now filled with phlegm, "Thank you so much, guys." He wiped his eyes and sticky, red cheeks.

"Anytime, Jude," James smiled, patting his friend's shoulder. "So, you wanna tell us anything?"

Jude nodded eagerly, his eyes still bright with tears, this time with happiness. He wiped his nose as he spoke, "McGonagall told me my parents' names." Seeing them perk up in anticipation, he giggled, "Their names were Daniel Porter and Bonnie Wesley. They were half-bloods."

James clapped his hands with a grin, "Alright, Jude! Now that we got the basic questions out of the way, what else did she tell you?"

"They were both Gryffindors. My dad was a year older than my mom. Oh!" Jude beamed once more, this time with a shy grin, "She said I look just like my dad did, but I had the shape of my mum's eyes."

"Well then he must've been a looker," Emma said, pinching Jude's cheeks. He lapped the attention up like a puppy. She pulled back and asked, "What about your mother? What did she look like?"

Jude pursued his lips thoughtfully, "McGonagall didn't say much about my mother. She did say she had a feisty personality to match her red hair though." McGonagall's sad reveal about Bonnie hit him again causing his smile to fade. His body felt grow heavy with sorrow once again at the remembrance.

"What is it?" Emma asked with a worried frown. She scooted closer to him on the floor, gathering him into her arms once again. "Did she say something you didn't like?"

"My mum…" Jude exhaled shakily, his chest aching, feeling like something was trying to claw out of it. "McGonagall said my mum didn't want me when she found out she was pregnant. Heck, she wasn't even in love with my dad. Them having me was a mistake."

"Hey, hey," Emma cooed soothingly, putting his head on her shoulder. She rubbed his back and rocked him back and forth. She made eye contact with James over Jude's head and the two shared the same heartbroken look.

It wasn't fair. Sweet, caring Jude deserved better. Jude, who lost his parents at the age of 2, who was abused and neglected by the man taking care of him for 9 years, and who now had a dark wizard after him for reasons they still hadn't figured out, was the best person anyone could meet and he shouldn't have ever felt that he was unwanted by anyone, especially his own mother.

His friends couldn't do anything except hope that after Jude was born that his mother had a change of heart and that she was the best mother anyone could ask for before she passed.

Jude pulled away from Emma once more with a grateful smile, "Thank you." He cleared his throat, the storm in his eyes slowly clearing as he spoke, "I was really sad when McGonagall told me that, but she told me that my dad wanted me so much that he even came up with a spell where he was basically pregnant just so my mum could have me even though she didn't want to."

"I like your dad already," James chuckled, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Me too," Jude whispered morosely. He wiped his eyes again before gazing at his friends with a half-smile, "Thanks for listening, guys. I know we said we'd be practicing today, so thank you for letting me talk."

"Mate," James breathed, shaking his head in disbelief. "You don't have to thank us for that. We always want to hear you. We'll always listen to whatever you want to say." Emma nodded in agreement, her own eyes shining this time.

More tears leaked out of Jude's eyes. His bottom lip trembled. "I really love you guys so much. I don't know what I did to deserve you." He leaned forward and took them into his arms, shedding tears into James' shirt.

James smiled slightly, patting Jude's back, "It's really the other way around, Jude."


	21. I Knew Them

**Chapter 21**

Pages turning at an alarming rate filled one part of the library. While some knew that it was a library and that pages should be turning, they also knew that someone turning the pages that fast wasn't getting any information from whatever textbook they were reading.

The students in the library turned to the sound, finding Jude Porter searching through 3 books at once. The covers of the books showed that they weren't any textbooks 5th years should be studying. In fact, they looked a bit like yearbooks. Why did a student need to go over 10 yearbooks in one sitting?

"People are staring," James mumbled, his eyes on his parchment. He clenched his jaw in irritation when he felt Emma kick his shin under the table. He narrowed his eyes, "What? It's true."

Emma sighed with a roll of her eyes, "Right." She turned her gaze to Jude who was still rapidly flipped through the pages of multiple yearbooks. "Jude, have you found anything?"

"Not really," Jude shook his head, eyes still firmly on the book. He glanced up, finding James, Emma, and students from a few tables down staring at him. He swallowed down his embarrassment and shut the book.

He stood from the table, putting on a smile as he gathered the books. "I'm going to put these away and then I'll go to the common room. I promise I'll study when I get to the dorms."

"Jude," Emma called sympathetically as he walked away. She glared at those around them fiercely. When they turned their attention back to their books, she then gazed at James and kicked him in the shin again.

Out of the library, Jude heaved a sigh and swept a hand through his hair. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he made his way to the Gryffindor Tower. His mood had gone from happily inquisitive to sadly embarrassed, more for his friends than for himself.

He understood why people were staring at him like that; there weren't many people looking at yearbooks nowadays. He just wished people understood his situation more or that they didn't judge.

Many people knew he was an orphan, and if they didn't, they knew that Neville and Hannah were his adopted parents. Not only that, they must've known that he knew nothing about his heritage when he first came to the school.

Now that he finally knew something about his parents, he was eager to find out more about their years in Hogwarts. He remembered Emma telling him that the library had records of former classes, so he went headfirst into every yearbook he could find. He narrowed them down to 1998-2007.

He hadn't gotten very far into the records. He was only a few pages into a handful of different ones before he got everyone's attention. He would've liked to been able to see if his parents were prefects, headboy/girl, quidditch players, or even top of their classes. Unfortunately, he didn't find any of that out.

He closed his eyes with a deep exhale, mentally reminding himself to go back into the library when no one else was around. But seeing as how O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s were coming up and every 5th and 7th year student had to study day in and day out, he knew finding an empty library these days was next to impossible.

His walk was cut short when he felt someone collide with him. His eyes snapped open, his mouth already forming the apology. He stopped, tilting his head and blinking in surprise at the two in front of him.

"Sorry, Professor Harmon, Professor Alexander," Jude frowned apologetically yet still staring inquisitively. "I wasn't looking where I was going." He lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head.

Meghan coughed into her fist, "No harm done, Porter. We weren't exactly looking where we were going either." She grimaced at the sharp nudge Emilie gave to her ribs.

Emilie cleared her throat, her face flushed, "Jude, may I ask why you aren't in the library? I heard many students were studying for their exams today. I'd hate for you to fall behind."

"I-I've been studying," Jude stuttered, crossing his arms. He shifted his weight on his feet. "I've just been a bit distracted lately."

"By what?" Meghan asked curiously.

Jude gazed at them with hopeful eyes, "When did you guys graduate Hogwarts?"

The teachers seemed a bit thrown by the question. They shared a look before Meghan shrugged, answering, "I graduated in June 2003."

"For me, it was June 2004," Emilie added.

"Well, see…" Jude rubbed his chin. "I was born January 2005. That means my dad graduated sometime that year if he finished school."

Meghan was taken aback. "Wait, I thought you said you didn't know anything about your parents."

Jude beamed, "Oh, right. I found out about them from Professor McGonagall over the break. She took care of my dad when he was a kid after his parents died. I asked her about them since I never knew anything."

"What were their names?" Emilie questioned with a light smile on her lips.

"Daniel Porter and Bonnie Wesley."

The start that got Meghan disappeared as she suddenly grinned. "Oh, I remember Bonnie."

The two turned to her questioningly.

She nodded, chuckling, "Yeah, I was a 4th year when she first started. I didn't know her until my 5th year when she tried out for the quidditch team. She was a real firecracker that one. Never backed down from a challenge." She frowned, "We lost touch after I graduated though." She placed her hand on Jude's head, her green eyes soft with sorrow. "I'm sorry, Jude."

"Me too," Jude whispered, his breath hitching in his throat as he held back his tears. He swallowed, holding back his tears. "Did you ever see or hear about my dad?"

Emilie was the one to answer. "I remember encountering him once or twice," She stated thoughtfully. She smiled at Jude when he perked up, "You certainly do look like him, and you have his kind heart."

Jude blushed, smiling back shyly, "Thank you, professors. You wouldn't happen to have a picture of either of them, would you?"

"Bonnie should be in the quidditch photo I have for my last year," Meghan replied. "I have the yearbook at home, unfortunately. Sorry, kid."

"That's okay," Jude shook his head, his smile never faltering. "Thank you again. Also, I'm sorry for interrupting whatever you were doing."

He gestured to their intertwined hands. The professors blushed, averting their gazes from the student.

He waved to them as he began walking away, "Bye, professors. Have a good night!"


	22. The Shy and the Clueless

**Chapter 22**

Quidditch practice had just come to a close. Emma, James, Carlos, and Louis were quick to get changed and head back to the library; James and Louis were very reluctant. Emma had to promise James that she would take him to Hogsmeade and let him buy and eat however many sweets he wanted. Jude had to stay behind to clean up and make a strategy. Hugo and Lily stayed behind to help him.

"Hey, Lily. Hey, Hugo," Jude greeted with a smile. He walked over to them, his broomstick over his shoulder. He took the box filled with the quidditch balls. "You guys can go. I can clean the rest up myself."

Lily rolled her eyes good heartedly, "Jude, really, it's fine. Besides, you already have so much on your plate. The least we can do is help you clean this up."

"Yeah, Jude. We're the only ones who don't have huge exams at the end of the year, so we can take a few minutes to help you," Hugo added, his arms filled with the extra broomsticks they had used. He began walking towards the small house behind them. "I'm gonna take these to the shed."

"And then go do something fun," Jude called out to him. He turned back to Lily and shrugged with a soft smile. "Even though I protest, thank you. It really does mean a lot that you guys are helping me. I'm actually feeling kinda bad that I didn't help Olivia and Kelli out more."

"I'm sure they didn't expect you to," Lily reassured. "I know for a fact that James and most likely Emma didn't help out either. My parents didn't and they became captains too."

Jude rubbed his cheek, a pink hue coming onto it, and smiled, "Yeah, that's true. I just feel bad when I don't help out enough."

Lily patted his arm, an amused smile twitching at her lips, "And that's why you're a good and nice person, Jude. We don't have much of them left."

"But most people I know are nice and good," Jude countered, his eyes wide.

Lily giggled, "Jude, sometimes the people you know try to be better for you. Before James met you, he was kind of mean and the only thing that really made him happy was quidditch and pranks. Now he's witty, he's smarter, and he's almost always happy, especially when it comes to you and Emma. I can almost say the same thing about Louis."

"I think the whole smarter part is Emma's doing." He smiled at Lily's laugh. He shook his head, "I don't know if people are being better for me. James and Emma are awesome, and Louis is the best, really. I'm glad I'm friends with them." He pointed at Lily with a grin, "You and Hugo too."

"Well thank you. I'm glad you're my friend too," Lily replied happily. Her eyes lit up in remembrance. "Oh hey, how'd it go over the break? Did you visit McGonagall like you wanted to?"

Jude beamed, "Yeah, I did." A large grin erupted on his face. "She told me so much about my parents, and I…I really am so happy I talked to her. It's just…" His eyes stung, holding the unshed tears. He sniffled, rubbing his eyes with a shaky laugh, "I'm sorry. I keep crying every time I talk about it."

Lily smiled softly, putting her hand on his arm, "It's fine if you want to cry, Jude. Everyone needs a good cry now and again. And it's very refreshing when someone lets you see them cry. It means they trust you."

"I've been crying since the break," Jude chuckled self-consciously. He swallowed thickly, trying to put on a smile, "Their names were Daniel Porter and Bonnie Wesley. I'm gonna visit their graves in Godric's Hollow when the term is done."

"I'll go with you," Lily offered. "We live in Godric's Hollow after all, and if you need someone to talk to after, I'd be glad to listen."

A wide smile spread onto Jude's lips. "Thank you, Lily."

He set down his broom and the box in his hands. He opened his arms and gestured for her to hug him. The redhead laughed lightly as she obliged, wrapping her arms around him. The two embraced, holding each other tight on the quidditch pitch.

By the entrance to the locker room, Hugo watched the exchange with a wide grin and wide eyed glee. He had seen the two when he got back from putting the broomsticks away, and while he knew he should've walked away, the gossip in him needed to see how this went.

He knew for a while now that Lily had a crush on Jude. Who wouldn't? He thought to himself. Jude was the person everyone had a crush on, but said male was way too oblivious and clueless to notice.

Hugo knew his cousin since they were born. Lily was headstrong and strong willed, just like Aunt Ginny. When she was around Jude, he saw a completely different side to her. Just the mention of him had her smiling shyly with soft eyes that he had never seen on her before. And from his conversation with her friends, he had proof that she was harboring a crush on him. He just wished that Jude would notice as well.

"What are you still doing here, Hugo?"

He turned and quickly shushed James who walked over with Louis and Emma. He nodded to where Jude and Lily were still talking, this time with no tears and lighter smiles, making them look much happier.

Emma sighed dreamily, "Look at Jude. He doesn't even know how he feels about her and yet he looks so happy."

James stiffened, "Excuse me?" He made to storm onto the pitch, only to be held back by his friend and two cousins. He glared at them, "Let me go. That's my sister he's trying to-"

"Oh, James, please," Emma glared back. "Jude's harmless, and he's your best friend."

"Yeah, Jamie," Louis rolled his eyes. "If there's anyone good enough for Lily, I'd say it's Jude, and vice versa."

Hugo put his hands together, pleading, "Please, James. Just leave them be. They'll appreciate it if you don't interrupt them."

With a long, suffering groan, James allowed himself to be dragged towards the library. A smile came onto his lips involuntarily as he watched the two.


	23. My Team

**Chapter 23**

" _Welcome, welcome, students and staff to the last match of the year,_ " Conners announced with a grin. " _This is the last match I'll announce so I'm happy to provide commentary on the Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw match. I hope you don't miss me too much after this. I know Professor Alexander will._ "

Some of the students booed at that. Jude chuckled when he saw Professor Alexander shake her head exasperatedly. He was going to miss Conners and the professor's banter every other game he played.

" _Let's introduce the Ravenclaw team again, shall we?_ " The students of the Ravenclaw house cheered loudly. " _Ravenclaw has the captain and chaser, 7_ _th_ _year Amy Wyler. For the chasers, they have 6_ _th_ _year Joffrey King and 6_ _th_ _year Derek Starr. For the beaters, they have 5_ _th_ _Nicholas Benson and 6_ _th_ _year Robert Matheson. 6_ _th_ _year Kevin Simms is their keeper and 4_ _th_ _year John Andrews is their seeker. Let's give them a hand._ "

Jude clapped with the rest of the students and gave a smile to the Ravenclaw players who soaked up the attention. He placed his hands back on his broom as Conners continued.

" _You already know the Gryffindor team but let's talk about them again. We have the captain and seeker; the boy everyone is in love with, 5_ _th_ _year Jude Porter!_ "

"Please no," Jude muttered embarrassingly, his neck heating up uncomfortably. He wished it meant Lazarus was nearby. He didn't know why everyone was staring at him like that, but it was making him very uncomfortable.

Conners cooed, " _Sorry, Porter. You know we love you._ " He continued, " _For the chasers, we have 5_ _th_ _years James Potter and Emma Thorne, and 3_ _rd_ _year Lily Potter. For the beaters, we have 7_ _th_ _year, my best mate, Louis Weasley, and 5_ _th_ _year Carlos Curry. Last but not least, we have 3_ _rd_ _year Hugo Weasley. A round of applause for them, please!_ "

The Gryffindor quidditch players took the attention graciously, Louis especially. Jude was definitely going to miss him when he was gone. Louis was the only person still on the team who was with him since his first year. He was definitely going to leave a bit of a hole in his heart when he left. It hurt just knowing that he wasn't going to see his cheerful face every quidditch practice and game.

Below them, Neville gave the rules and instructions before letting the bludgers and snitch loose. He threw the quaffle up to them, starting the match.

Like always, Jude flew away from the quick flying chasers and made his way to the edge of the pitch, keeping his ears and eyes open for the snitch. He dodged a bludger and sighed; he now had to keep his eyes open for bludgers as well.

" _With a stunning move, James gives Gryffindor the lead with 10-0!_ "

Jude readjusted his goggles with a grin. He was happy to know that his chasers were the best there were in the school.

Moving his eyes around the pitch, he found Andrews nervously flying around the other side of the pitch. He felt a little bad seeing him dodge multiple bludgers, but at least he didn't have cursed ones coming at him. No, apparently the bludgers liked him much better.

" _And Lily gives Gryffindor another point. The score is now 30-10 with Gryffindor still in the lead. Come on, Ravenclaw, I know you're better than that._ "

Professor Alexander sighed, " _Don't rile them, Conners._ "

" _Oh, look at that! Andrews almost got pummeled by that bludger. Good job, Lou!_ "

" _Conners!_ "

Hands tightening on the neck of his broom, Jude breathed a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, listening for those pesky fluttering wings. The roaring of the crowd and Conners endless amusing commentary weren't helping him in the long run, but after years of practicing, he knew how to tune them out.

His eyes snapped open. They darted over to the goals and found the little gold bugger zipping around Kevin Simms. He shot off, passing the chasers and the bludgers, keeping his eyes on the snitch. It took Andrews a few moments to realize what was going on. His slow reflexes were one of the reasons why Ravenclaw lost most of their matches.

The snitch seemed to be more mischievous this match. It flew next to the stands and stayed in one place before speeding off when Jude got too close.

Jude pulled back, screeching to a stop in front of the Slytherin students, before he shot off towards the snitch again. There was no way he was going to lose sight of it and let Andrews get it when Andrews was basically doing the exact same thing he was doing; except without the snitch playing tricks on him. That would be his most embarrassing moment as a quidditch player and as captain. He was going to win this game and get the cup.

With that in mind, Jude narrowed his eyes and leaned his chest on the broom, gaining more speed. He ducked under the chasers and popped back up, his eyes still on the snitch. His tunnel vision didn't help him in this situation.

His eyes widened when he realized how close he was to the goals. He lowered his head quickly and went straight through the hoop. The snitch was too close to the goal post and he was going way too fast.

His right hand shot out, catching the lip of the hoop and stopping him. He cried out at the harsh pain pulsing in his shoulder. He could easily blackout from the injury but he couldn't do anything like that just yet.

Gritting his teeth and ignoring the pain, he grabbed the annoying snitch, both grateful and mildly irritated that it chose when he was injured to finally stop moving. He held up his left hand, a half grimace, half grin on his face.

The students cheered with Conners as he announced, " _There you have it, folks. Porter catches the snitch, ending the match and helping Gryffindor win with 410-230. Not only did they win this match by a landslide, but they also won the house quidditch cup. Congrats, Gryffindor. You deserve it._ "

Jude laughed shakily, holding his dislocated shoulder as his teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. He lifted his good hand and fist pumped with a bright grin on his face despite the pain he was feeling.

His heart lifted when he saw Professor Harmon hand the cup to Carlos who was the closest to her. He tapped Louis' shoulder, signaling him to let him down. Once he was on the floor, he held out his free hand to take the cup.

" _That was a great match to see. Thank you Ravenclaw and Gryffindor players for letting that magnificent spectacular be the last match I'll see here. Now let's party!_ " Conners exclaimed ecstatically as the students of all houses and the players of both houses cheered wildly.

Jude expected the hefty weight of the quidditch cup in his hand after Carlos handed it to him. What he did not prepare for was Carlos cupping his cheeks and covering his lips with his own. He froze in place, cup hanging in his hand, as he tried to figure out how he was supposed react to Carlos' chapped lips on his.

Fortunately, Carlos pulled away quickly, his eyes wide with fright. He gazed around quickly, finding everyone else preoccupied with the pre-after party on the pitch. Before Jude could call out to him, his roommate took off towards the locker rooms. An uncomfortable pit formed in his stomach.

"We should get you to Pomfrey, Jude," Emma's worried voice brought his attention back to the pitch. She and James frowned when they noticed his sorrow filled eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I-" Jude cut himself off with a flinch. The pain, which had been forgotten during his inner turmoil, came back with a vengeance, letting him know that his shoulder needed to be looked at right away.

He sighed heavily, his eyes still on the path Carlos took as he shook his head, "I'll tell you after."

After a scolding from Pomfrey for, once again, injuring himself during a match, she put his arm in a sling and told him he should only need it for the night. The trio then made their way to the Gryffindor Common Room where the after party was being held.

"You wanna tell us what's going on now?" James asked right before he gave the password to the painting. He raised an eyebrow when his friend remained silent, "Jude?"

Jude's legs jiggled impatiently. "Fazio," He blurted out. He quickly made his way through when the painting swung open.

He put on a smile when the students inside began cheering for him. His eyes darted around the room, in search for Carlos. He found him on one of the couches with Jared, the latter speaking to Carlos who looked despondent. The pit in Jude's stomach expanded, and soon it turned into spikes piercing his lungs, making it difficult to breath properly.

He walked over to the two, his eyes pleading, "Carlos, can I talk to you? Please?"

Carlos shared a long look with Jared. The other boy nodded and helped Carlos up from the couch. Jude nodded his thanks and put his hand on Carlos' shoulder, leading him towards their dorm.

Once there, he exhaled raggedly, speaking, "So…"

"I'm sorry I kissed you!" Carlos exclaimed nervously. He lifted a hand, raking it through his dark locks. He then pressed it to his bloodshot eyes. "I'm sorry. You probably think I'm a freak and you don't want to share a dorm with me anymore."

The pit in Jude's stomach simultaneously dissolved and pierced his lungs once more. He shook his head, mouth parted, "Carlos, no. Why would I ever think that?" He swallowed, keeping his gaze on his feet, "I'm just a little confused, that's all. Why did you kiss me?"

Carlos blinked, "Wait, you don't know?" His eyebrows shot to his hairline when Jude simply stared confusedly. "I've had a crush on you since our second year."

"You have?" Jude reared his head back in shock.

A groan escaped Carlos' lips as he covered his face in his hands embarrassedly. "Jared told me you were oblivious but I didn't think he meant this oblivious." He lifted his head and narrowed his eyes at his crush. "So you seriously don't know that more than half of the school has a crush on you? All the guys, gals, and non-binary pals."

"They do?" Not wanting to sound like an idiot, Jude shook his head, "We're getting off topic here."

"Okay, yes, I have a crush on you. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"I'm sorry, Carlos."

"Is it because I'm a boy?"

"No, no," Jude said sincerely. He shrugged helplessly, "I have no problem who likes me and honestly, I'd like anyone no matter their gender, but…" The pit turned into ice, chilling his insides. "I'm…we can go out if you want to."

Carlos was already shaking his head, however. "No! See, I knew you'd do this." He rubbed his eyes once more. "Jude, you don't have to force yourself to like me."

"I do like you."

"As a friend and barely at that." He sighed, his shoulders slumping, "Jude, I like you so much, but these are my feelings. You don't have to feel bad that you don't return them."

Jude clenched his good hand into a fist. "It's just…it's my fault you feel this way."

"It's not. They're my feelings and I have to deal with them," Carlos responded vehemently. His brown eyes softened with an emotion Jude had seen before but now realized what it meant. "Jude, you're too nice for your own good. That's one of the reasons why I like you so much. But dating me without liking me like that will only hurt us both in the long run, and I don't want that. The last thing I want to do is hurt you or force you to do something you don't want to do."

"I don't want you hurt because of me either," Jude protested.

Carlos laughed incredulously, "It's not because of you. We can't help who we like and we can't help who we don't like. You don't have to feel bad about it. Here, let's do it this way then." He put his hands up, asking, "Do you have any romantic feelings for me?"

No matter how much he scoured through his brain and heart, Jude already knew the answer the moment Carlos asked. "No," Jude whispered sadly.

"Then that's all there is to it," Carlos replied, his eyes sad but his smile soft and understanding. He held out his hand. "As long as I can continue to be your friend, I'll be happy."

Paying no mind to the hand, Jude stepped forward and wrapped his good arm around the other male. He held him tightly and paid no mind to his own burning eyes. "I really am sorry, Carlos. You deserve better than me."

"Thanks, Jude," Carlos gave a watery chuckle, burying his nose into Jude's broad shoulder. "But you're probably the best I'll ever find."

The two embraced for a moment longer before Jude pulled away. He sniffled before smiling at his friend, "Come on, we have a party to go to. I think they're waiting for us."

Carlos nodded and followed him out of the dorm. The students cheered once again when they caught sight of Jude.

"Everybody, everybody!" Louis pounded on one of the tables. He stood on it, the firewhiskey in his cup sloshing about. He spoke loudly for everyone to hear, "I've known Jude since he started the quidditch team. He's the reason Gryffindor has had a winning streak for 5 years now. He has given his body and mental state to this game and I have never been prouder of anyone in my life."

He raised his cup to Jude who fidgeted bashfully. He grinned, "Jude, my buddy, you are the best thing that happened to this team, and I am so sad to leave, but I am truly so happy to have been by your side since your beginning. Cheers, friend."

Jude grinned back, his face flushed, "Thanks, Louis. I'm gonna miss having you by my side as well. You're the best. I love you, mate."

"I love you too," Louis replied in a high pitched tone, tears and snot already running down his face and lips. He stumbled off the table and gave Jude a tight hug that left him laughing despite the slight pinch of pain he felt in his shoulder.

Once Conners and some other students pried Louis off, Jude addressed everyone in the Common Room, his voice wavering slightly, "Thank you, everyone. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your constant encouragement and death glares."

The students chuckled at that. He smiled, turning to his team now, "Guys, I don't think I could find a better team than you all. I may be the captain now, but you guys made me into the player that I am today. I'm nothing without all of you. So thank you for supporting me and being who you are."

Everyone cooed happily when the players gathered their captain in a group hug. Their coos turned into cheers when Jude was lifted in the air again. They all chanted, "Porter! Porter! Porter!"


	24. End of the Year

**Chapter 24**

"Wow," James blinked slowly, his utensils falling to his plate as he processed the information Jude had given him and Emma. "So he really kissed you?"

It had been two weeks since the last quidditch match of the year, and while Jude seemed fine, there was something he wasn't telling them. When they tried to ask him what was wrong, he denied that anything was wrong and changed the subject. Finally, after two weeks of asking and prodding, Jude finally came clean that Carlos kissed him and revealed his feelings for him.

Jude sighed with a nod, nudging the left over bacon on his plate, "Yeah. When I asked why he did it, he said he's had a crush on me since we were 12."

"I mean, yeah, everyone saw that," James shrugged. "I'm just surprised he actually went for it."

"That was a rather gutsy move," Emma nodded in agreement.

"Wait…" Jude's head snapped up, his eyes wide. "You both knew?"

James snorted, "Come on, mate. Curry wasn't exactly subtle. He always wanted to be around you. He gave you more hugs than we did."

"I thought he was just being friendly!"

"You're just really oblivious, Jude," Emma responded apologetically.

Jude raised his eyebrows incredulously, "That's hypocritical coming from you two."

His two friends exchanged glances questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Nothing in the world was going to make these two get a clue. Jude shook his head, standing up from the bench, "Let's just go. We've got O.W.L.s to attend."

Emma clapped her hands, a bright smile on her face as she followed the two out of the Great Hall, "I'm so excited. I've been waiting to take these since our 1st year."

"I'm…" James rubbed his eyes. "I just don't know what to say to that."

O.W.L.s took two weeks out of the 5th years' lives. The first day of the first week had them in Charms, doing a written test on certain charms and a practical on making on egg cup do cartwheels, as well as performing several other spells. The trio felt they did well in that subject, seeing as how they never had trouble in that class.

The second day was the easiest for Jude and James. Transfiguration was always their best and favorite subject, even when it came to essays. It was the only subject where they got better grades than Emma. The written and practical portion of the exam didn't intimidate them at all.

Wednesday had them in Herbology. Jude may have struggled in it a bit, but it was thanks to Neville's great teaching that he was able to come out the other side without any worries on either the written or the practical exam.

Defense Against the Dark Arts on Thursday was a bit easier. The written portion was only ten questions about identifying werewolves. The practical had them doing counter-jinxes, defensive spells, and Riddikulus on a Boggart.

Having to see the Boggart always left an uncomfortable twisting in Jude's stomach. In his third year, when he first learned about it and saw it for himself, he saw Piers who quickly turned into Lazarus. He steeled himself and cast the Riddikulus spell which turned it into fireworks.

Seeing James' and Emma's left him heartbroken. James' was his own family expressing their disappointment in him along with their hatred. Emma's was of them turning their back on her, leaving her with no one and nothing on her side. Jude was quick to hug them when the class was over. He reassured them that no matter what, he was never going to stop loving them.

This year, his Boggart was a woman. She possessed red hair, lighter than Emma's, and no face. It didn't take him long to realize who it was supposed to be. With a shaky hand, he cast the Riddikulus spell and watched as she turned into Hannah and Neville, both looking at him with loving eyes and soft smiles.

James' Boggart was Harry simply glaring at him. Before the Boggart could open his mouth, James casted the spell and watched as his father turned into his mother who smiled the same smile he always wore when he was too happy for words.

Emma's Boggart, unfortunately, was Leon. James and Jude had to be held back by other students when they tried to bring their own wands out. Professor Riley had to talk Emma through it after she became frozen with fright. Soon, Emma was able to grit her teeth and cast the spell, turning Leon into Jude and James who opened their arms for a hug.

Friday was a free day for James and Jude since it was the Ancient Runes exam. They spent the time studying and dutifully waiting for Emma. When she did come back, the three took a much needed nap in the Room of Requirement.

At the start of the second week, they took the O.W.L. for Potions. During the written portion, Jude felt like ripping his face off because of its severe difficulty. He knew Emma was doing fine but he had to wonder how many curses were flying through James' mind.

Tuesday was their Care of Magical Creatures exam. The written portion was easy while the practical had them finding a Knarl among a group of hedgehogs, choosing a diet from a wide selection of food for a sick Unicorn, feeding and cleaning out a Fire Crab without sustaining serious burns (Jude was happy he was imperviousness to fire helped him pass that), and demonstrating the correct handling of a Bowtruckle.

Suffice to say, the boys were pretty confident they passed.

Wednesday was Astronomy. Thanks to Emma, they were able to identify all of Jupiter's moons in the written exam. For the practical, they had to look through a telescope and fill in the blank start-chart with positions of the stars and planets.

Jude took his Divination exam by himself. He had a hard time remembering certain things for the written exam. The practical consisted of crystal ball reading, tea-leaf reading, and palm reading. He was a little weirded out when each of those things depicted some kind of fire in his future. Emma told him not to take it too seriously but he knew she believed it too.

Emma took her Arithmancy exam a few hours later. In that time, Jude and James tiredly played chess. The moment Emma came back into the Common Room, the two practically glomped her. She didn't have the heart to move them. Other students found them piled on top of each other on the ground. No one disturbed them.

They had History of Magic on Thursday. It was a long written exam about wand legislation, Goblin riots of the eighteenth century, Statue of Secrecy breach, and Formation of the International Confederation of Wizards. They then had to explain why the Warlocks of Liechtenstein refused to join.

As much as Jude liked Professor Alexander, this exam made him tolerate the subject much less.

Friday was their last day and their last exam which was Muggle Studies. Emma flew through it easily, Jude had little difficulty, and James almost slammed his head on the table the moment he read the first question.

* * *

"I'm so glad those are over," Jude groaned, leaning back in his seat in the train's compartment. "I thought my head was gonna explode with all those questions."

James scoffed tiredly, "You thought yours was gonna explode? I'm pretty sure my ears bled from my brain working too much."

"Stop exaggerating," Emma rolled her eyes.

"You tell Neville and Hannah you're sleeping over?" James asked, changing the subject.

Jude nodded, yawning, "Yeah. He said it was fine as long as it was just for a day. Hannah really wants to see me back home."

"Are you sure you want to go alone?"

"Yes, James," Jude mumbled exhaustedly, his eyes closing. "Lily already offered. I'll tell you what I told her; I'm gonna be fine."

"Wait, Lily offered?" James questioned incredulously. He narrowed his eyes and growled slightly when he saw that Jude was already asleep.

Emma nudged him. "James, come on. All he said was that she offered. You don't need to take it to the next level."

James crossed his arms petulantly, "She's my sister."

"Yes, and Jude's your friend. What do you think he would do to her if he felt that way about her?" Emma inquired exasperatedly. "He tried to date Carlos just so he wouldn't be sad. Jude would be the best person Lily could date."

While all that was true, James was not going to admit anything out loud.

The train got to the station hours later. The trio woke up at the familiar abrupt stop. Jude sniffed, rubbing his hands over his face tiredly. He stood up with the others and grabbed his luggage from the overhead carrier before following his friends out of the compartment.

He said goodbye to Emma and some of his other friends, including those of the Weasley family. He followed James to where his mother was standing. He smiled, greeting, "Hello, Mrs. Potter. You look lovely today."

Ginny grinned, ruffling his messy hair, "That's always pleasing to hear." She glanced at her son, deadpanning, "You could learn a thing or two from Jude."

"Suck up," James muttered goodheartedly. His friend simply grinned as the rest of the Potter family joined them. They both ignored Albus' snippy attitude and made their way to Godric's Hollow.

It wasn't until after supper that Jude and James excused themselves and made their way to James' room. Once there, Jude exited through the window, placing a cushioning charm on the ground to break his fall. He waved to James as he ran towards the address McGonagall had given him during the break.

He didn't know what to expect when he got there. All he knew was that the home he once lived in wasn't in the best shape, so when he saw it in such a good condition, he wondered if a fire happened in it at all.

" _Alohomora,_ " He whispered. The door unlocked with ease, though he could hear the harsh creaks it made while doing so.

The inside of the house showed what he was expecting. He gazed at the blackened walls and burnt floor.

Before he could take another step, his scar began heating up. His hand flew up to the back of his neck as he spun around. His eyes widened in fright.

"Hello, hello, Jude Porter. It's been a while."


	25. The Confrontation

**Chapter 25**

It had been almost two years since Jude last saw Lazarus. Two years since he was stabbed and had to burn the side of Lazarus' face to get free and to save Lily. He knew he wasn't dead after what happened last year with Sherlock, but seeing him in the flesh after all this time sent chills down his spine. The burns on one side of his face only helped his evil image.

Lazarus smirked as he stepped out of the shadows, "I see you finally figured out some of your past." He touched one of the blackened walls with reverence. "Some of my best work, I'd say."

The admission stopped Jude's heart. He shouldn't have been surprised. "You…" He licked his dry lips. "You started the fire?" A familiar roar, one he hadn't felt in almost a year, filled his chest.

"Of course," Lazarus smiled nonchalantly. "I tried to get your father's blood, but he was a clever wizard, I'll give him that. He hid you very well. It's why I didn't know about you until you started your first year at Hogwarts."

"But why?" Jude asked, an intense shiver trembling through his body. "Why are you after us? Why me? Why my father?"

An ugly sneer crept onto Lazarus' face, stretching the burnt side as well, "I need your blood. It holds magic this world hasn't seen in centuries. Give yourself over to me. With your blood, I'll fuse my soul with Voldemort's, and I will be stronger than any wizard alive. I will wipe out those who oppose me."

Jude shook his head stiffly, "I won't let you."

"Then you leave me no choice. _Diffindo!_ "

The familiar spell shot out. Jude stumbled out of the way and whipped out his wand, shouting, " _Stupefy!_ "

Lazarus slammed himself against the wall, dodging the spell. His eyes moved around frantically when he realized he couldn't find Jude. He snarled, lifting his wand, " _Reducto!_ "

The wall Jude hid behind exploded. He placed his hands over his head, protecting himself from the debris. He quickly crawled out of the way of another spell and countered, " _Alarte Ascendare!_ "

"You child!" Lazarus screamed as he suddenly flew into the air. " _Bombarda!_ "

The explosion threw Jude into another wall. He gasped for breath after the air left his lungs from hitting the wall abruptly. He coughed, the pain in his back creeping into his nerves causing him a pinching headache.

Lazarus aimed his next spell directly at Jude's face. He growled, " _Crucio!_ "

No pain could compare to this. Jude had suffered through many injuries since he first met Lazarus, but it was all nothing. His blood was boiling. His muscles were twisting in agony. His insides were being crushed.

He writhed on the floor, trying desperately to ignore the pain. All he needed was one more spell to break Lazarus' concentration. However, his convulsions weren't helping his brain which felt like it was slowly turning into mush. He had to do something. He needed to stop Lazarus before he passed out.

 _Let it go, Jude._

Jude's eyes snapped open, blazing blue. Thick flames erupted on his arms. Using every brain cell he had, he threw a ball of fire at Lazarus, successfully breaking his concentration, and, with it, the spell.

He took a moment to inhale greedily before he rolled out of the way of another curse. He moved to punch and watched as a line of fire flew at Lazarus.

Lazarus tripped as he tried to dodge the flame. He righted himself and held his wand tightly in his hands as he bellowed, " _Incendio!_ "

The harsh flame that burst from Lazarus' wand had frightened him when he was a first year, but now, knowing that any fire wouldn't hurt him, simply gave him more confidence. He put his hands out, absorbing the flames into his own. Too much fire around the house was harmful and he had to make sure none of it damaged the house.

Knowing the other male wouldn't touch him now that the fire was protecting him, he charged at Lazarus, ducking under yet another spell, and catching him around the waist.

Lazarus was scrawny. That much he noticed as he ran both of them through one of the windows.

Jude scrambled to get on top of Lazarus. He pressed one hand to the blond's throat and raised his flaming fist. He glared down at him, "You're not gonna get my blood."

The first punch had Lazarus spitting blood onto the ground.

"You're not gonna touch my friends."

Another caused blisters on his face.

"You're not gonna kill anyone like you killed my parents."

The startled shift in Lazarus' dull blue eyes made him pause. Lazarus blinked slowly as realization set in. He chuckled, blood bubbling out of his mouth, "I didn't kill your parents. I killed your father. Your mother, on the other hand…"

Jude grasped tighter at his collar, snarling, "What did you do to her?" His flame filled fist shook intensely.

"I didn't kill your mother!" Lazarus laughed maniacally. He softened his tone to a mocking coo, "Oh, poor little Jude, even your mother didn't love you enough to save you."

"Shut up!" Jude shouted hoarsely. Tears made their way down his cheeks involuntarily only to evaporate away after a moment on his heated skin.

Lazarus shook his head the best he could on the ground, "I can't believe you didn't know she was here this whole time. She's not dead. She just didn't want to see you." A shrill giggle left his bloody lips, "And they say I'm heartless."

There weren't many things Jude hated in his life. Piers, Lazarus, his followers, Leon's actions towards Emma, Harry and Albus' ugly attitudes; those were things he hated. The pity that came into Lazarus' when he realized Jude hadn't known that his mother had been alive this whole time was just something he added to the list.

Slowly, the fire died around his arms and hands. His roaring anger replaced with a quiet sorrow.

"All done are we? Good. _Diffindo!_ "

Jude was roughly brought back to the present when the pain in his chest finally registered in his mind. Before he could take any kind of action, Lazarus latched his mouth on the deep gash and began greedily sucking the blood in his mouth.

The flames came back with a vengeance, burning Lazarus' mouth and face as well as closing Jude's wound. The dark wizard screamed as yet another part of his face was burnt severely. He threw Jude off and Disapparated on the spot.

Lying on the ground as the flames on his body disappeared, Jude briefly wondered where his mother was before he passed out from his wounds.


	26. Decisions

**Chapter 26**

Jude dully stared at the blurry ceiling. His body ached as it lay in the small bed given to him in St. Mungo's. He didn't know how long he had been there, only that the moment he woke up, the nurse that walked in quickly left to inform the doctors of his new status. In that time, he thought back to his fight with Lazarus.

Knowing that his mother was alive the entire time he was living with Piers made his heart break in his hollow chest. McGonagall told him that she didn't want him that much he understood, but for her to leave him and never try to find him hurt more than any injury he ever suffered from either Piers or Lazarus.

A part of him thought that maybe she thought he died in the fire with his father, like he had thought she did, but even McGonagall said it felt wrong. She knew that Daniel was impervious to fire. There was no way someone who was close friends with his father didn't know that. She had to have known that something was wrong. She must've wanted to reach out to find out who had died; him or his father.

"Jude Porter, you are in so much trouble!"

Jude slid his eyes to the door where Hannah appeared, his stomach twisting at her wavering voice. He glanced over her head, finding Neville's blurry figure. He stared at them for a long minute before simply shifting his head back to its previous position, his eyes towards the ceiling.

Neville and Hannah exchanged worried looks. Neville lead Hannah in, a concerned frown on his lips, "Jude, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Jude mumbled, his voice devoid of any emotion.

Hannah reached forward, grasping his limp hand. She tried catching his eyes so she could show the love she had for him. She squeezed his hand tightly. "Jude, whatever's wrong, you can tell us. We may be upset right now but we'll never stop loving you."

Her words seemed to hit home. Jude's chin trembled as tears escaped his eyes. He swallowed, squeezing his surrogate mother's hand back, "My mum isn't dead."

His parents started, eyes wide with shock. Neville inhaled sharply, "What are you talking about, son? How did you find this out?"

"Lazarus told me," Jude replied hoarsely. "He never touched her. She wasn't in the house to begin with. She never loved my father and she didn't love me; not even enough to save me from Piers."

"And you believe him?" Hannah asked incredulously.

"McGonagall said the same thing," Jude answered. "I should've realized that when she was telling me about my father, she never once mentioned my mother dying in the fire." He lifted his free hand to wipe his eyes. He shook his head slowly, "Her name is Bonnie Wesley. She never loved me. She didn't even want to keep me."

Neville rubbed his face, contemplating, "So what are you going to do?" He lifted his hand before the younger male could respond. "Just know that you are grounded, so that means no seeing James or Emma, and no practicing for quidditch."

"That's fine," Jude rasped. He took his hands from his mother's and shifted on the bed, sitting up. He ignored his parents' protests and his aching muscles. He grunted, reaching over to grab his glasses.

Once they were on, he focused his gaze on them. "I want to open the vault my father left me, and then after that, I want to work on my old house over the summer. The muggle way."

"Jude, why-"

"It's my house. Even after the fire, it was still there. It doesn't belong to anyone else, so when I'm older, I want to live in that house," He explained. He smiled gratefully at the two, "I love you both so much and am so thankful that you've taken care of me and have loved me after all these years. I don't ask for much. I just want this."

The two pondered over his words for a moment. He watched their silent conversation, watched how they knew what the other was saying just by looking into their eyes. He wished that one day he could meet someone where they only needed a look shared to know what the other was thinking.

Finally, Neville placed his hands on hips as he turned his gaze back to him. He nodded firmly at the young man, "Okay, we'll let you work on the house, but if you ever need us, we're not far."

"I'll always need you guys," Jude stated. He accepted the emotional, tight hug his parents gave him, hugging them back just as tightly.

When they pulled away, Hannah ran her hands through Jude's hair, smiling softly, "Your friends are here waiting. Are you well enough for another visit?"

"Of course," Jude smiled back.

The two adults watched as the teens came in, each worried and concerned for their friend in the hospital bed. A part of them wondered why Jude excluded anything about his mother when he relayed the information he received while fighting Lazarus. James, Jude, and Emma were as close as friends could be; why would there be something Jude wasn't telling them? Especially something this big.

* * *

"You ready?" Neville asked as he and Jude walked into Gringotts.

"Even if I wasn't, I know I'd have to go in sooner or later," Jude replied.

Giving his son a nod, Neville then went to one of the employees. Soon, they were put on a small cart and taken to where the vault was in the giant building. Jude congratulated himself for being able to hold his breakfast in throughout the whirlwind of a ride.

The worker gestured to the grand vault in front of them. "Here you are." He gave the key to Neville.

"Thank you," Neville said as his son walked numbly over to the vault. He placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, smiling slightly, "You alright, Jude?"

"I will be," Jude swallowed, nodding back. He took his father's hand into his own tightly as he was handed the key. His hand shook as he unlocked the vault.

The vault was filled with gold and silver. Jude had never seen so much in his life, and he was friends with James, the eldest son of the ever famous Boy-Who-Lived Harry Potter. Seeing this much made him think that his father and his fathers before him were much more famous than Harry Potter could've ever been.

What were they?

"I'm just as shocked as you are, Jude," Neville chuckled in disbelief.

Jude exhaled as he shook his head, "I don't think you can really comprehend how shocked I am, Dad."

His eyes fell on the only non-shiny thing in the vault. He furrowed his brow as he picked up the letter. His breath hitched in his chest when he realized that the handwriting was his father's. He carefully opened it, his chin trembling as he read it over.

 _Dear Jude,_

 _If you're reading this now, it means I am dead. I'm so sorry, son. Knowing the people who are after our name, I can only imagine what they did to finally get me. My only wish was that you were safe and alive. I don't care about what happens to me as long as you are still alive in this world._

 _My parents died when I was a child, and, while I was ecstatic when you were born, I always knew I wasn't going to be by your side that long. I began writing this letter on your 1_ _st_ _birthday because I don't know how long I have._

 _You're getting fussy right now, so I don't have long. All I want to say is this, Jude; no matter what happens, I will always love you. I always wanted you. You are the greatest thing to come into my life and I don't want you to ever forget that. On your hardest days, I want you to remember how much I love you and will always love you, even in death._

 _Love,_

 _Your father, Daniel._

Tears dripped onto the parchment. Jude slowly fell to the ground, broken sobs slipping out of his mouth. Neville wrapped his arms around him, silently consoling the boy as his own tears fell from his eyes.

Jude clutched the letter in one hand while clutching Neville's sleeve in his free one. In this moment, with his late father's words and his father's arms around him, he felt loved and safe.

But why did he still feel so empty?


End file.
